Stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector have identified the full implementation of the National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDG) and the strategic deployment of Medipool Nigeria as the most effective pathway to eliminating substandard and falsified medicines in Nigeria, and have called for immediate action.
The call was made during the 2026 edition of Pharma West Africa, held in Lagos recently, where the Pharmaceutical Wholesalers and Distributors Association of Nigeria (PWDAN) hosted a special conference session on the theme, “Strengthening the Pharma Supply Chain to Curb Substandard and Falsified Medicines.”
The Chairman of Pharma West Africa, Pharm. Ibrahim Yakasai, who was present at the session, noted that the persistent circulation of substandard and falsified medicines remains one of the most serious threats to public health, undermining treatment outcomes, eroding public confidence in healthcare systems and causing significant economic losses.
According to him, discussions at the session underscored the urgent need for stronger collaboration among regulators, manufacturers, distributors, healthcare professionals and policymakers to build a more resilient and transparent pharmaceutical supply chain.
Yakasai, a former president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, said the NDDG and Medipool Nigeria represent practical and strategic interventions capable of transforming medicine distribution in the country if fully implemented. He stressed that a well-structured distribution system would not only curb the influx of fake medicines but also improve access to affordable, quality-assured drugs and stimulate local pharmaceutical manufacturing.
He added that Pharma West Africa would continue to serve as a platform for dialogue, innovation and partnerships aimed at strengthening healthcare systems and advancing pharmaceutical excellence across Nigeria and the wider African continent.
In his welcome address, Chairman of PWDAN, Pharm. Ogheneochuko Omaruaye, described substandard and falsified medicines as a major public health threat that undermines healthcare delivery, weakens economic stability and erodes public confidence in the health system, noting that the crisis remains widespread and deadly.
Citing data from the World Health Organisation, Omaruaye said at least one in every ten medicines circulating in low- and middle-income countries is either substandard or falsified, with global economic losses estimated at more than $30.5 billion annually. He added that a major review published in JAMA Network Open found an even higher average prevalence of 13.6 per cent, rising to 19.1 per cent for antimalarial medicines and 12.4 per cent for antibiotics. This, he noted, is even more troubling in Africa, where a 2024 systematic review estimated the prevalence of poor-quality medicines at 22.6 per cent.
“These are not just numbers. They represent treatment failures, avoidable deaths, and lives cut short. They represent mothers who cannot trust the medicines they give their children, families pushed into poverty by ineffective therapy, and communities losing faith in the health system meant to protect them,” he said.
Omaruaye added that Nigeria has not been spared, recalling that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) had previously estimated national prevalence at 16.7 per cent. He stressed that fake and substandard medicines contribute significantly to antimicrobial resistance, prolonged hospital stays, increased healthcare costs and preventable deaths. He warned that the withdrawal of major multinational pharmaceutical companies from Nigeria, alongside rising medicine prices, has worsened the problem by pushing consumers towards cheaper and often falsified alternatives.
“This is why today matters. This is why PWDAN matters,” he said.
While reaffirming PWDAN’s commitment to regulatory compliance, product traceability and structured distribution, he stressed that the association cannot tackle the challenge alone. He therefore called for urgent support in four key areas: policy support to eliminate unregulated distribution channels; technological support to expand authentication and digital monitoring systems; financial support to modernise warehouses and logistics infrastructure; and collaborative support to enhance information-sharing among manufacturers, regulators, distributors and healthcare providers.
“Strengthening the pharma supply chain is not only a technical exercise; it is a moral imperative. Every safe medicine delivered to a patient is an act of service. Every falsified medicine prevented is a life protected,” he said.
Speaking on the topic “NDDG – The Panacea to Combat Substandard and Falsified Medicines,” a former Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Industrial Pharmacists (NAIP), Pharm. Ifeanyi G. Anukwu, traced the origin of the NDDG to efforts to address the chaotic and uncoordinated drug distribution system that characterised Nigeria’s pharmaceutical market towards the end of the 20th century.
Anukwu, who is the chief operating officer of Alpha Pharmacy and Stores Limited, explained that the Presidential Committee on Pharmaceutical Sector Reform, established in 2003, developed the NDDG in 2010. The first revised edition was published in 2012 following a review in 2011, with the overarching goal of establishing a well-ordered drug distribution system in Nigeria.
According to him, the objectives include ensuring efficient and effective drug supply management in both the public and private sectors, guaranteeing that all medicines are safe, efficacious, affordable and of good quality, and expanding access to quality medicines at all levels of healthcare. He noted that the guidelines provide for the establishment of State Drug Distribution Centres (SDDCs), also known as Public Distribution Centres (PDCs) or Drug Management Agencies (DMAs), to be owned and supervised by state governments.
The private sector, he added, is expected to establish Mega Drug Distribution Centres (MDDCs), also referred to as Mega Wholesale Centres (MWCs), as well as Coordinated Wholesale Centres (CWCs), wholesale outlets and community pharmacies.
He listed the approved drug distribution channels under the NDDG as manufacturers and importers; SDDCs/PDCs/DMAs; MDDCs/MWCs; Coordinated Wholesale Centres; retail community pharmacies; public health facilities; primary healthcare centres; private hospitals; Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs); and consumers.
According to the former NAIP chairman, under the framework, manufacturers and importers must be registered with the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), ensure all products are registered with NAFDAC, comply with good storage practices, and maintain proper transaction documentation for monitoring and tracking.
State Drug Distribution Centres, he added, are to be registered by PCN and directly supervised by the pharmaceutical services department of each state ministry of health. They are expected to follow the complete drug supply chain process, including selection, procurement, storage, distribution, transportation, documentation, tracking and recall.
On Mega Drug Distribution Centres, Anukwu said they are private-sector initiatives that must be registered by PCN and strategically located across states or geopolitical zones. Each centre is to be supervised by a superintendent pharmacist with at least ten years’ experience, while quality assurance and distribution managers must also be pharmacists.
Drug procurement at these centres, he explained, should be done directly from registered manufacturers and importers, based on consumption patterns and supported by quality assessment systems. Payments to suppliers are expected within 14 days, with all transactions fully documented.
Coordinated Wholesale Centres, according to him, are multiple wholesale outlets co-located within a comprehensive facility. They are permitted to supply community pharmacies, public and private health facilities, and PPMVs with approved products, but are prohibited from directly retailing to consumers or openly displaying medicines. Community pharmacies, he added, must be owned by registered pharmacists and licensed by PCN.
He further stated that public and private healthcare facilities are expected to have PCN-registered pharmacy departments staffed by pharmacists and to procure medicines only from authorised wholesalers or community pharmacies.
Anukwu stressed that the NDDG expressly prohibits medicine hawking in markets, motor parks, bus stops and kiosks, noting that non-compliance attracts sanctions under PCN and NAFDAC laws. He clarified the distinction between legislation and guidelines, explaining that while legislation is compulsory and rigid, guidelines provide specific, actionable direction and are more flexible and easier to update.
He also explained the mechanism of Medipool Nigeria, a government-endorsed group purchasing organisation (GPO) established in May 2025 to overhaul the country’s pharmaceutical supply chain. According to him, Medipool aggregates demand to reduce costs, improve medicine availability and support local manufacturing.
Structured as a public-private partnership and special purpose vehicle, Medipool is designed to strengthen health system resilience. Its key features include bulk purchasing to reduce costs and improve access, end-to-end procurement management from sourcing to last-mile delivery, support for local manufacturers, and collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and other partners.
Anukwu noted that the platform focuses on essential medicines, promotes transparency and accountability, and aligns with institutional frameworks such as the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund.
He said implementing the NDDG and Medipool would transform the drug distribution landscape and significantly curb the circulation of fake medicines. He also highlighted the strategic role of PWDAN within the distribution ecosystem, alongside manufacturers, wholesalers, community pharmacies, healthcare institutions, PPMVs, NAIP, the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), and the National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED).
To deepen collaboration, he proposed a NAIP–PWDAN Business Summit aimed at fostering a network of legitimate players, establishing a legal framework, designing payment and delivery systems, developing logistics and reverse logistics structures, engaging financial institutions, and building a digital framework for the sector.
Anukwu also presented a pilot proof-of-concept model involving manufacturers, financial institution partners, accredited PCN-registered retail players and distributors operating within a framework defined by exclusivity, accountability, transparency and full documentation.
The session also featured a panel discussion in which stakeholders reiterated that tackling substandard and falsified medicines requires a coordinated and disciplined distribution system anchored on regulatory compliance, technology, financing and strong collaboration.
The panellists maintained that with effective implementation of the NDDG and the operationalisation of Medipool Nigeria, the country can significantly reduce the circulation of fake medicines and restore confidence in the pharmaceutical supply chain.
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