Global Spotlight on Nigerian Pharmacy Reform

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has taken Nigeria’s community pharmacy reform to the global stage with the presentation of its Community Pharmacists Assessment and Career Progression Institute (CPACPI) framework at the 84th FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Montreal, Canada.

The presentation, which placed Nigeria’s community pharmacy development before an international audience, highlighted ACPN’s efforts to establish a structured, competency-based career progression pathway for pharmacists practicing in the community setting. The four-day congress, held from August 30 to September 2, 2026, brought together pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, educators, and industry leaders under the theme, “One Health, One Pharmacy—Bridging science, practice, and education.”

The CPACPI framework was presented on behalf of ACPN by its National Chairman, Pharm. Ambrose Igwekamma Ezeh. The initiative, first introduced by ACPN in 2025, was designed to address the absence of a clearly defined career progression pathway for community pharmacists and strengthen their contribution to primary healthcare delivery.

Our mission through CPACPI is not merely to create an academic milestone, but to build a resilient, sustainable workforce capable of delivering world-class primary healthcare.

— Pharm. Ambrose Igwekamma Ezeh, National Chairman, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN)

Addressing Barriers to Professional Advancement

Ezeh explained that the framework was developed against the backdrop of operational pressures, regulatory shortcomings, financial constraints, and limited opportunities for structured career advancement confronting community pharmacists in Nigeria. A study presented alongside the framework, titled “The Implementation Gap: Perceived Barriers and External Threats to Community Pharmacists’ Participation in a Career Advancement Scheme in Nigeria,” examined the experiences of 182 practicing community pharmacists across the country.

The research, a collaborative effort involving experts from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, identified workload pressures and the high cost of certification as major barriers. Findings showed that more than three-fifths of respondents felt daily practice demands limited their ability to participate in career advancement programs, with younger pharmacists particularly concerned about the financial burden of training.

To address these challenges, ACPN is incorporating practical interventions into the CPACPI framework. These include tiered and subsidized professional development grants and flexible, self-paced digital learning modules designed to allow pharmacists to acquire new competencies without disrupting patient care.

A Structured Five-Band Career Pathway

At the core of CPACPI is a five-band career progression structure intended to eliminate the career ceiling traditionally experienced by community pharmacists. The system is designed to replace career stagnation with a transparent, merit-based system where experience and continuous development determine advancement.

The framework allows pharmacists to progress through the following levels:

• Band 1: Community Pharmacist
• Band 2: Senior Community Pharmacist
• Band 3: Community Pharmacy Specialist
• Band 4: Community Pharmacy Senior Specialist
• Band 5: Community Pharmacy Consultant

Advancement under the system is based on measurable professional competencies, including specialized clinical care, mentorship, digital health integration, and continuous quality improvement. This Nigerian-led approach aims to make community pharmacy more structured and clinically impactful.

Advocacy for Primary Healthcare Integration

Beyond internal professional development, ACPN is pushing for the formal recognition of accredited community pharmacies as private-sector primary healthcare facilities. Ezeh argued that the integration of qualified community pharmacies into the country's primary healthcare architecture is necessary given their accessibility to millions of Nigerians.

There is a pressing need for government authorities, policy-makers, and national health authorities to identify and designate qualified community pharmacies as official primary healthcare facility providers in the private sector.

— Pharm. Ambrose Igwekamma Ezeh, National Chairman, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN)

He further noted that formally integrating these pharmacies into the national health insurance system would expand access to healthcare and reduce pressure on overstretched public health facilities. The association believes the CPACPI framework will serve as a model for other low- and middle-income countries seeking to strengthen the contribution of community pharmacists to universal health coverage and medicine safety.