No be small matter oh! Pharmacists don dey shout, make Federal and state governments carry them enter Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) all over Naija. Dem dey worry say medicine dey misused, patient no dey receive correct counseling, and drug matter no dey well managed for grassroots level. As e be, this gbedu don dey affect how people dey use medicine safely and how healthcare dey operate well.
According to correct source, if dem fit deploy pharmacists to PHCs, e go make patient care strong, improve how we dey manage medicine, and help prevent plenty sickness wey dey waka for our obodo. Just recently, our government don drop N32.9bn through Basic Health Care Provision Fund to make PHCs gree shine like diamond.
Pharm. Aliyu Tanko, wey be president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria yarn for PUNCH Healthwise say, e no make sense say pharmacists dey carry last for PHCs. He talk say dem suppose dey involve pharmacists well, as dem be important part of healthcare workers for primary health level. “We dey expect say government go fully integrate pharmacists into national healthcare programme, especially for PHC and public health level in 2026,” Tanko conclude.
Pharmacists sabi plenty things, but dem know dey use am well at the PHC level. E get as e be wey Tanko dey urge government make dem support digital health transformation. This one go include strong policies wey go fit help licensing, inspection, and overall service delivery system across the sector. He also mention say for 2025, as e dey be, access to medicine no dey easy; na because we dey rely too much on import, wahala for forex, and supply chain wahala dey vex us.
To support local drug manufacturing and reduce how we dey depend on foreign products for 2026, Tanko suggest say Nigeria need to get sharp industrial and health policies wey go carry pharmacists matter come front. “We need make sure say medicine production, distribution, and dispensing dey under true pharmacy management,” he talk. Also, him talk say we get to embrace local content procurement policy wey go put quality-assured locally made medicine for public health programmes. With stable infrastructure, power, water, and logistics support, we go fit make plenty things happen.
The PSN president no forget talk about how policy alignment between health, trade, and finance ministries go fit help. He don clear everybody say make dem recognize pharmaceuticals as national security and public health priority because without serious plans, local manufacturing no go fit waka.
On top the matter, Ezeh, the National Chairman of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, also urge government to make community pharmacies to officially dey recognized as PHCs too. For Naija, pharmacists na the first port of call for health matter; dem dey provide immediate and reliable help to people. And the way community dey run, anytime you waka enter pharmacy, you go fit get quick consultation, counselling, and all the health education wey you need.
Ezeh stress say as people dey rush to community pharmacies without appointment, dem dey leave the place with better understanding of their health, proper counseling, and guidance wey go fit help them. “Pharmacists na trusted professionals wey dey carry medicine knowledge, public health, and patient care together. This why community pharmacies deserve to be recognized as Primary Healthcare Centres,” he conclued.
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