FG moves to regulate online pharmacy services

The Federal Government, alongside other stakeholders in the health sector, on Monday in Abuja, inaugurated the National Electronic Pharmacy Policy (NEPP) and its Strategic Implementation Plan to further transform the health sector.

Speaking at the event, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, said the policy would regulate the production and sale of pharmaceuticals and allow Nigerians access to quality-assured medicines.

Represented by the Director, Food and Drug Services at the ministry, Olubumi Aribeana, Pate said the policy was geared towards modernising healthcare delivery and ensuring Nigerians have access to affordable medicines, regardless of where they live.

According to the minister, although the rise of digital platforms has transformed nearly every sector of the nation’s economy, the pharmaceutical space has remained largely fragmented, with limited oversight of online medicine sales.

He said the free-hand access in the pharmaceutical sector had created dangerous gaps, where substandard and falsified medicines, unlicensed vendors and misinformation thrived.

“Today marks a bold step forward in our collective mission to modernise healthcare delivery and ensure that every Nigerian has access to safe, affordable and quality-assured medicines, no matter where they live.

“The NEPP is our strategic response. It provides a clear, enforceable framework for the regulation of electronic pharmacy services in Nigeria. It ensures that innovation does not come at the expense of safety.

“With this policy, we are setting the foundation for a nationally coordinated e-pharmacy ecosystem that is transparent, secure and patient-centred.

“It establishes licensing and accreditation standards for digital pharmacy platforms, enables real-time monitoring and traceability of pharmaceutical products, and improves access to essential medicines, especially in underserved and remote communities,” he said.

Pate added that the platform would promote greater accountability for all actors in the pharmaceutical value chain, noting that the policy is a product of extensive collaboration.

“I want to thank the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), NAFDAC, digital enablers such as the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

“I also want to thank the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for their critical roles in shaping the digital governance, data protection and infrastructure frameworks that underpin this policy,” he said.

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, said the policy would provide strategic direction for regulation, especially for PCN as the implementing agency.

“We have developed the regulation to guide this particular endeavour. The regulation was approved by the Coordinating Minister of Health and endorsed by the Minister of Justice,” he said.

According to him, PCN is confident that there will be no challenges in the implementation of the policy.

Munir Elelu, Director and Team Lead for the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria Foundation, lauded the project, describing it as a good innovation for Nigeria.

He said the project would cut across primary healthcare centre services, family planning services, as well as community and underserved populations across the country.

Mr David Adeyemi, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Pharmachain Technologies, who was part of the team that drafted the policy, commended the efforts of the team in producing the document.

He identified lack of implementation as a major setback to most policies in Nigeria, but assured that the NEPP would not be different.