The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called on the Federal Government to immediately sanction companies and pharmacists involved in illegal drug distributionwithin federal health institutions across the country.
In a statement, ACPN National Chairman, Mr. Ezeh Ambrose Igwekamma, condemns the growing wave of unlawful pharmaceutical practices taking place under various Public–Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements in federal hospitals.
According to Mr. Ezeh, unregistered private pharmacy operators have taken over drug distribution in several federal health institutions, citing weak oversight by regulatory agencies as the key factor enabling such violations.
He criticized the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) for allowing these infractions to continue despite multiple warnings issued by the ACPN between 2020 and 2022, alleging that some institutions responsible for enforcement are now supporting practices that undermine pharmaceutical laws.
“Institutions empowered to uphold the law are now enabling actions that directly violate it,” Ezeh stated.
The ACPN Chairman listed several institutions allegedly affected by these illegal PPP models, including the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, National Hospital Abuja, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) Sokoto, and the Federal Medical Centres (FMCs) in Makurdi, Umuahia, and Jabi.
He stressed that these arrangements contravene key provisions of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) Act 2022 and the Public Procurement Act 2007, both of which prohibit unregistered pharmacies from operating within public hospitals.
“The PCN Act clearly criminalizes the operation of unlicensed pharmacies within government health facilities. The continued violation of these laws threatens patient safety and undermines national drug security,” Ezeh noted.
Mr. Ezeh urged the Federal Government to enforce sanctions against all hospitals, companies, and pharmacists involved in the illegal partnerships, warning that failure to act swiftly would lead to further erosion of pharmaceutical standards and compromise patient care nationwide.
He also cautioned superintendent pharmacists whose practicing licenses were being used to legitimize unregistered pharmacy operations to regularize their status by the end of 2025, or risk disciplinary action from 2026 onward.
“We call on President Bola Tinubu to direct the Coordinating Minister of Health to end this lawlessness. The government must restore order and accountability in the nation’s pharmaceutical system,” he said.
The ACPN reaffirmed its commitment to promoting transparency and professionalism in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector. The Association emphasized that achieving drug security and quality healthcare in public hospitals depends on the effective management of the Drug Revolving Fund (DRF), support for local drug manufacturing, and strict compliance with Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP) standards.
“Restoring legality and professionalism in drug distribution is crucial for ending shortages and ensuring patient safety,” the ACPN Chairman concluded.
