The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, ACPN, has expressed concerns over the Federal Government’s plans to introduce new regulations for healthcare facilities in Nigeria.
According to ACPN, the proposed reforms are unnecessary and could be counterproductive.
In a statement released Thursday, jointly signed by the Chairman, Ambrose Eze and Secretary, Omokhafe Ashore, they highlighted several issues with the government’s plans.
Firstly, the association argued that the existing National Health Act of 2014, if fully implemented, could effectively address the problem of unregulated and substandard healthcare facilities.
“We share the enthusiasm of the Hon. Minister to deal with the menace of unregulated and substandard health facilities, but respectfully submit that this must be done in tandem with existing Acts of Parliament and logically the 1999 Constitution. Presently, there are a plethora of health statutes including the National Health Act 2014 which are not activated for the benefit of consumers of health.
The other leg of the menace of substandard health facilities has to do with the extremely wretched funding of the existing regulatory agencies in healthcare. Only recently an inexperienced and ill-tempered former DG of the Budget Office almost destabilized the health sector by removing the 15 professional regulatory councils from the Appropriation Act of the Federal Government. It took the intervention of the Federal Ministry of Health to convince the Presidency and National Assembly of the unwholesome consequences of such moves before it was reversed.”
The ACPN also criticised the government’s proposal to establish a new National Health Regulatory facility, stating that it would be wasteful and inefficient.
“The Federal Government must exercise discretion as it cannot continue to approbate and reprobate. In one swoop the Federal Government says it does not have money to cater for existing regulatory councils and in another vein it is contemplating setting up a new National Health Regulatory facility “which shall regulate across the country”.
The ACPN also emphasised the importance of respecting the constitutional framework for regulating healthcare professions in Nigeria. The association pointed out that pharmacy matters are exclusively regulated by the Federal Government, while other health professions are regulated by both the Federal Government and the state governments.
They urged the Federal Ministry of Health to focus on strengthening existing regulatory bodies, such as the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
The association also called on the government to fully implement the National Health Act of 2014. The ACPN emphasised the need for the federal government to consult with healthcare professionals and stakeholders before implementing any new reforms. The association expressed hope that the government would adopt a more collaborative approach to addressing the challenges facing the healthcare sector.
