The launch of Nigeria’s e-Pharmacy Policy, according to industry experts, marks a decisive transition in the pharmaceutical service delivery because of its unifying and regulatory framework that governs both electronic and hybrid pharmacy practices across the country.
In a ceremony hosted by the Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, to unveil the plan, the stakeholders, while narrating the journey that led to the development of the document, said they were happy because for the first time, the nation now has a guideline that formally integrates digital pharmacy into Nigeria’s broader health-system architecture.
They are further excited because the framework also positioned e-Pharmacy as a regulated complement to physical service delivery rather than an informal, parallel market.
“I will say that the policy is actually great because it protects indigenous innovators,” David Adeyemi, CEO/Founder, Pharmachain Technologies, stated while delivering his goodwill speech at the launch of the policy.
The pharmacist believes the unveiling of the guideline was significant because if properly implemented, he said it will help to address the various health challenges that are currently bedevilling the country, especially the issues around out-of-pocket expenditure, workforce shortages, and uneven availability of essential medicines and family planning services.
Disclosing the historical origin of his organisation and its pathway in the e-pharmacy sector, he hinted that it all started during COVID-19 when they were motivated and thought of how to penetrate the lockdown that the world experienced during that period to get essential medicines across to those in need.
He expressed optimism that the policy will be well executed as a matter of urgency, considering its long-awaited arrival and the fact that Nigeria is many steps behind other countries in having a framework for the deployment of e-Pharmacy to deliver effective healthcare services.
For a country like Nigeria, where you find all sorts of web platforms selling and advertising medicines, Adeyemi, whose establishment was among those selected to draft the policy, assured that with the release of the policy, innovators, software developers, and business owners will now know that there is a formal way of approaching the e-pharmacy practices in the nation.
In response to how those in rural communities will benefit from this new guideline, he said it will help address the issue of quack practices in those areas and increase access to certified e-pharmacy stores, which remained a very big hurdle.
“The government has to communicate to help people know that they are not trying to stifle innovations, because the spirit of this document was made to be fair and encourage innovators,” the Pharmachain Technologies chieftain said when asked what he would do differently if in the position to ensure that the policy is effectively implemented to redirect the nation on the path of medical prosperity.
He commended the Ministry for considering his organisation and others worthy of participation in the process, which he said made it more inclusive by capturing all voices and improving the final document.
The policy, according to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, would regulate the production and sale of pharmaceuticals and allow Nigerians access to quality-assured medicines.
Pate, who was represented at the meeting by the Director of Food and Drug Services, Olubumi Aribeana, said the policy was inspired to advance the healthcare delivery and allow Nigerians access to affordable medicine without the conventional barriers of location.
He went on to say that the framework’s implementation will also help to address the issue of fragmentation and lax oversight of online pharmaceutical sales, which had created dangerous gaps where poor and counterfeit medicines, unlicensed vendors, and disinformation flourish.
“Today marks a bold step forward in our collective mission to modernise healthcare delivery and ensure that every Nigerian has access to safe, affordable, and quality-assured medicines—no matter where they live,” Prof. Pate stated.
In the same line of thought, Ibrahim-Babashehu Ahmed, the Registrar/CEO of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), acknowledged that the policy would provide strategic direction for regulation, especially for PCN, being the implementing agency.
“We have developed the regulation to guide this particular endeavour. The regulation was approved by the Coordinating Minister of Health and endorsed by the Minister of Justice,” he noted.
He assured that PCN is positive that there will not be any difficulty in the implementation of the policy, urging Nigerians to embrace the document to ensure it successful execution.
In all honesty, the National e-Pharmacy Policy clearly signifies Nigeria’s shift from preparation to action based on the remarks made by the different speakers. Its impact, however, will depend on its deployment being disciplined and equitable, establishing e-pharmacy as a long-lasting foundation of the health system that increases access, fortifies regulation, and provides care with dignity.
By Etta Michael Bisong, Abuja