The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has accused several Federal Health Institutions (FHIs) of engaging in illegal drug distribution practices, urging the Federal Government to impose sanctions on the pharmaceutical companies and individuals involved.
National Chairman of the association, Pharm. Ezeh Ambrose Igwekamma, raised the alarm over what he described as “widespread, unlawful pharmaceutical operations” taking place within public hospitals—often with the tacit approval of hospital management and regulatory agencies.
Pharm. Ezeh condemned the “persistent culture of disregard for the law” by some pharmaceutical companies and their superintendent pharmacists allegedly running private operations inside public hospitals under various Public–Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements.
He accused the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) of turning a blind eye while unregistered private operators take over drug distribution in federal hospitals, describing the situation as a “travesty of justice.”
According to him, such arrangements violate the Decree 43 of 1989 (now Cap 252 LFN 2004), which established the Essential Drug List and the Drug Revolving Fund (DRF) as the statutory framework for drug supply in public hospitals. He stressed that only pharmacists are legally empowered to oversee procurement, distribution, and management of drugs under the DRF system.
The ACPN chairman lamented that over the years, some Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) and Medical Directors (MDs) have mismanaged DRF resources, resulting in frequent drug shortages and unstable availability across federal hospitals.
He cited the National Orthopaedic Hospital (NOH), Igbobi, as an example of an effective DRF model, noting that under pharmacy leadership, the hospital built a ₦200 million pharmacy complex in 2014 without mismanaging its DRF funds. However, he regretted that subsequent irregularities had eroded the success of the model, despite repeated warnings from the ACPN between 2020 and 2022.
Pharm. Ezeh declared that the PPP pharmacy models currently operating in federal hospitals—including UCH Ibadan, UDUTH Sokoto, AKTH Kano, National Hospital Abuja, NAUTH Nnewi, JUTH Jos, FMCs in Makurdi, Umuahia, Jabi and Nguru, ISTH Irua, and UMTH Maiduguri—are illegal.
He cited breaches of several provisions of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) Act 2022, including:
- Section 22(1): Only registered and inspected pharmacies may store, sell or dispense medicines.
- Section 27(5): Private pharmacies are prohibited from operating inside public health facilities.
- Section 29: Every pharmacy must be under the direct control of a superintendent pharmacist.
- Section 54: Running an unregistered pharmacy constitutes a criminal offence.
He added that many FHIs are also violating the Public Procurement Act 2007, which mandates transparent and competitive bidding in all government procurement processes.
Pharm. Ezeh alleged that more than 20 pharmacy premises currently operate without proper registration, with one company in Lagos reportedly taking over the pharmacy unit of a major teaching hospital while name-dropping top government officials to justify its presence.
The ACPN chairman issued a stern warning to superintendent pharmacists whose licences are being used to cover such irregular arrangements, giving them until the end of 2025 to regularise their status or face disciplinary action in 2026. The association also plans to recommend sanctions under the Consumer Protection and Trade Malpractices Act.
Reaffirming ACPN’s position, Pharm. Ezeh said tackling drug scarcity and strengthening the nation’s pharmaceutical supply chain requires support for local drug manufacturing, transparent procurement processes, and protection of DRF accounts as working capital.
He warned that the ongoing irregularities threaten quality, equity, and access to essential medicines in Nigeria’s public health system.
The ACPN called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare to address the situation urgently, warning that “government-induced chaos” in drug distribution is endangering lives.
“We must restore sanity, legality and professionalism in drug distribution in the public sector,” Pharm. Ezeh stated. “The health of the Nigerian people depends on it.”
