Pharmacists Appeal to Health Minister to Renew MoU with ACPN on Immunisation
Pharmacists under the aegis of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) are disappointed with the refusal of the Federal Ministry of Health to renew the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed with the body on immunisation and family planning programmes, saying the decision was not in good faith and not in the best interest of the nation.
In a letter to the Minister and the Coordinating Minister for Health, Prof. Ali Pate, the ACPN National Chairman, Prince Olawole Oladigbolu, stated that community pharmacists have been in the “forefront of strengthening Nigeria’s faltering and sinking health system, given the legal approbation that pharmacies are designated as health facilities within the framework of National Health Act 2014; and deserved recognition for the proven competence to effectively provide the essential services.”
According to Oladigbolu, ACPN demands that the Federal Ministry of Health signs an MoU so that the country will fully maximise the benefits of the level of training community pharmacists have endured for the tasks.
He posited that ACPN’s call aligns with the Pharma Consultative Forum agenda recently inaugurated by Prof. Pate to fix the unwholesome situation with the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA).
“The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) is a Technical Group of the PSN which specialises in providing health services through neighbourhood pharmacy facilities. It is also a member of the International Federation of Pharmacists which is the global template of all pharmacists,” he said.
He reiterated the proven capacity of community pharmacists to manage critical health programmes, including emergencies such as COVID-19 pandemic.
“At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the immediate past leadership hierarchy of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency partnered with the ACPN by authorising the community pharmacies to administer COVID-19 vaccines in their facilities in 2021.