ACPN urges immediate launch of NPP policy

By Doris Obinna

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to immediately launch the National Prescription Policing (NPP) initiative, describing it as a major milestone for the Nigerian healthcare sector under the Tinubu administration.

In a letter dated August 8, 2025, and addressed to the Honourable Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, the ACPN commended the ministry for reviving the NPP after its initial abandonment in 2013/2014 due to unresolved conflicts that led to a walkout by key stakeholders.

The association noted that the current effort, though not without its challenges, had overcome significant hurdles through collective commitment.

The pharmacists’ body, however, documented a series of challenges it said should be addressed for the sake of transparency and future policy development. These included what it described as the “non-committal posturing” of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) at crucial stages of the process, a stance it said was “a huge disservice” given NAFDAC’s role in drug registration and categorisation.

The ACPN also criticised the Food and Drugs Department of the ministry for repeated failures to provide essential technical information to the NPP committee, warning that such lapses could be costly if not addressed through stronger oversight.

Additionally, it condemned attempts by certain stakeholders to prioritise narrow professional or organisational interests over public health, praising the NPP committee chair for preventing such actions from stalling the process.

While expressing concern over bureaucratic inefficiencies, the association extended special commendation to the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) and other professional regulatory councils for stabilising the process during critical moments.

It urged the ministry to push for increased funding for the PCN to strengthen its capacity to ensure that only registered facilities dispense medicines in compliance with the Poison and Pharmacy Act.

The ACPN stressed that pharmacy-specific functions must no longer be underfunded or neglected, insisting that this should now be a priority regulatory focus if Nigeria is to safeguard public health effectively.

The group further requested that stakeholders be given the opportunity to review the draft NPP before its official launch to ensure accurate documentation of all committee decisions.