Pharmacists Urge FG To Adopt ‘Pharmacy First’ Protocol For Early Ebola Detection

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has urged the Federal Government to introduce a nationwide ‘Pharmacy First’ protocol to enable community pharmacies to identify suspected Ebola cases early and strengthen disease surveillance across the country’s 774 local government areas.

The association said integrating community pharmacists into Nigeria’s national disease surveillance system would improve early detection of infectious diseases, facilitate timely referrals and reduce pressure on secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities.

In a position statement signed by its National Chairman, Ezeh Ambrose, ACPN called on federal and state governments to formally recognise community pharmacies as partners in epidemic preparedness and primary healthcare delivery.

It said the proposed protocol would bring early symptom recognition and referral services closer to communities, particularly those with limited access to conventional healthcare facilities.

“We consider it necessary to sensitise and mobilise the federal government to approve specific investment plans to leverage the Pharmacy First Initiative as a front-line Ebola detection protocol, which stands as one of the best mechanisms to catalyse Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Nigeria,” the statement read.

Under the proposed initiative, community pharmacists would take on broader public health responsibilities beyond dispensing medicines. These would include recognising symptoms of infectious diseases, providing health education, conducting appropriate basic screening and referring suspected cases to designated health facilities.

According to the association, structured referral pathways would help ensure that people presenting with symptoms suggestive of Ebola receive prompt medical assessment and testing. The system could also support contact tracing and reduce the risk of exposure in crowded hospital settings.

“At the centre of strategising for epidemic response and Universal Health Coverage, governments at all levels must structure community pharmacies to provide first-line Ebola screening and Primary Health Care services through better access to essential drugs and management of uncomplicated diseases, which ultimately reduces the burden of services on secondary and tertiary health facilities,” it stated.

ACPN also urged community pharmacists to improve operational standards, modernise their practices and upgrade their facilities to meet the demands of expanded public health responsibilities.

“In view of changing times, Community Pharmacists must respond accordingly to explore investment opportunities with free funds to achieve the goals of Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP) in the realistic interest of patients,” the statement added.

The association, however, identified gaps in policy leadership, digital integration, evidence generation, quality improvement and collaboration among healthcare professionals as obstacles to effective epidemic preparedness and response.

To address these challenges, it proposed a five-point reform framework focusing on a unified vision for epidemic preparedness, improved clinical quality and public trust, digital integration into routine pharmacy practice, stronger collaboration with primary healthcare centres and partnerships with health insurance providers.

It also called for standardised reporting systems that would enable community pharmacies to transmit relevant surveillance data to national health databases, giving public health authorities timely information to monitor disease patterns and identify potential outbreaks.

Citing international experience, ACPN said community pharmacy networks had helped maintain access to essential healthcare services and support frontline clinical activities during public health emergencies. It referenced the United Kingdom as an example of a country where community pharmacies had helped sustain access to care during disruptions to conventional medical services.

Ezeh said integrating community pharmacies into Nigeria’s primary healthcare system would improve access to essential services and strengthen the country’s capacity to respond to public health emergencies.

He warned that delays in establishing effective grassroots surveillance mechanisms could undermine outbreak response efforts and expose healthcare workers, patients and the wider population to avoidable risks.

“We cannot afford to repeat past missteps where delayed grassroots surveillance allowed outbreaks to spiral out of control. If the Federal Government fails to integrate community pharmacies into this primary protocol, our major hospitals will inevitably become ground zero for cross-infection, overwhelmed before an outbreak is even fully mapped. Leaving community pharmacies out of the first line of defence is not just a missed opportunity; it is an unacceptable hazard to national health security,” he said.

The ACPN chairman called on President Bola Tinubu to issue an executive directive to facilitate the immediate implementation of the proposed protocol, arguing that the existing community pharmacy network could support a rapid rollout.

“Every day of delay places an unnecessary burden on our tertiary hospitals and leaves millions of Nigerians without accessible early detection. Community pharmacies are already fully staffed, equipped, and embedded across all 774 Local Government Areas. We require zero infrastructure expenditure from the government to deploy this immediately. We urge President Bola Tinubu to issue the enabling policy directive today, and our national network will activate the ‘Pharmacy First’ screening protocol within 48 hours,” Ezeh said.

The association also urged the Tinubu administration and the Federal Ministry of Health to establish a joint task force to develop and formalise the framework, including clinical guidelines, referral procedures, disease surveillance protocols and coordination mechanisms for community pharmacists.

It maintained that with appropriate government support, professional standards and integration into the national surveillance system, community pharmacies could serve as an important link between communities and Nigeria’s wider epidemic response network.