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By Doris Obinna
Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has advised the Federal Government to initiate and implement the values-based pharmacy care model, if it wants to achieve universal and sustainable health care service.
The national chairman, Adewale Oladigbolu, and the national secretary, Ambrose Ezeh, respectively, signed the advice, which was contained in the communiqué of the 42nd conference of the ACPN, in Delta State.
The pharmacists’ 42nd conference, with the theme “Building Effective Community Pharmacy Services for Universal Health Coverage,” focused on some highlights, including professional certification in point of care testing (POCT), the finals of the fifth edition of the ACPN National Anti-Drug Abuse Competition for secondary school students nationwide and Pharmacy-Based Vaccination Delivery/Basic Life Support programme certification training.
Also, professional certification in universal treatment for substance use disorder and routine immunization training by National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
The ACPN observed that universal health coverage in the country was difficult to achieve because of the fragmented health care system that is costly. It further stated that the health care system was broken and disconnected, with no access to care but which could be corrected with the Value-Based Community Pharmacy model.
According to the ACPN, Nigeria has the highest out-of-pocket spending on healthcare in the world, with citizens being responsible for more than 70 per cent of their healthcare costs, while South Africa has the least.
The association further claimed that they get poor treatment outcomes, characterised by people not getting better after incurring very high treatment expenses and patients not knowing what was wrong with them.
It asserted that building effective community pharmacy services was the way to achieve universal health coverage with the “Pharmacist-Led Care Team model” grounded in Value-Based Care, which is focused on professionalism and knowledge-based pharmacy practice.
“The solution to the healthcare gaps in Nigeria and the achievement of universal healthcare lies within the pharmacy profession, hence the need to re-imagine and re-invent healthcare in the country and change the trajectory of care.
“The community pharmacy represents the front door to a re-imagined healthcare system through the value-based care model that helps the patient understand his health challenge, identify and articulate his care needs and as well help the patient control costs through targeted knowledgeable and informed care.”
It stressed the need for the involvement of patients in their own care through a value-based care model in community pharmacies, where the patient is educated about his condition and the indices of improvement, saying that the model has worked in Mexico and Chile, which has similar healthcare structures to Nigeria.
ACPN described the value-based care model results in good treatment outcomes for the patient, less spending on the part of the patient, compared to the previous years, helping patients to understand their disease status and working towards improving it through lifestyle modifications, diet and other options.
