3m illegal drug outlets: Pharmacists demand emergency action

2026-03-18 - 00:33

... Accuse health ministry of sidelining non-physician professionals By Chioma Obinna The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, Lagos State Branch has warned that Nigeria’s pharmaceutical system is facing a critical breakdown with an estimated three million unregistered drug outlets operating across the country. The PSN stated that these illegal outlets put millions of Nigerians at risk and are symptomatic of a larger failure in health sector governance. Speaking at the Annual General Meeting in Lagos, the Society’s chairman, Babayemi Oyekunle, said the proliferation of unlicensed outlets results from weak enforcement and long-standing structural imbalances. “With over three million unregistered pharmaceutical outlets operating in Nigeria, millions of citizens are exposed to unsafe drugs and poor pharmacy practices, while less than 50,000 registered premises remain under proper oversight.’ “Less than 50,000 pharmaceutical premises are registered, leaving millions operating outside regulatory oversight,” he said. “This exposes Nigerians to substandard practices and undermines safe drug use.” Oyekunle also accused the Health Ministry of sidelining non-physician health workers, including pharmacists, nurses, and laboratory scientists. He claimed that decision-making structures increasingly favour physicians, sometimes occupying over 95 percent of positions in key committees. “Such arrangements render all other professional inputs irrelevant and weaken our healthcare system,” he said. The PSN chairman highlighted additional systemic failures, including the non-implementation of welfare packages under the CONHESS salary structure for pharmacists and other health workers. He said many approved benefits remain inactive in federal and state health institutions, contributing to low morale and operational inefficiency across the sector. Against this backdrop, the PSN urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the health sector and convene a high-level dialogue with stakeholders, including health worker unions. “Immediate intervention is needed to halt the deterioration of healthcare delivery and restore multidisciplinary collaboration,” Oyekunle said. The Society also warned that ongoing legislative amendments to the laws governing the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control could further weaken oversight if governing boards remain unbalanced. He emphasized that boards must reflect diverse professional expertise, regulatory experience, and sub-cadre inclusion to protect public health effectively. Oyekunle further reaffirmed the PSN’s commitment to patient safety, medicine quality, and regulatory excellence, while warning that failure to act decisively could deepen risks to Nigerians nationwide. “Our healthcare system must be balanced, technically sound, future-ready, and public-interest driven.” He urged both federal and state authorities to take urgent, coordinated action.