A pharmacy expert, Pharm. Rilwan Subair, has warned that worsening economic conditions and rising healthcare costs are placing community pharmacists under increasing pressure, raising concerns over ethical practice and the quality of pharmaceutical care in Nigeria.
Subair gave the warning while delivering the keynote lecture at the 2026 Annual Summit of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) in Ibadan, Oyo State, themed “Beyond the Counter: Balancing Professional Ethics, Innovation and Sustainable Growth in a Changing Healthcare Economy.”
He said inflation, foreign exchange volatility, declining purchasing power and disruptions in pharmaceutical supply chains have significantly increased the burden on patients, most of whom rely on out-of-pocket spending for healthcare.
According to him, these pressures are exposing pharmacists to ethical risks such as sourcing from unverified channels, inappropriate drug substitution, poor storage practices and weak patient counselling.
Subair stressed that despite the harsh operating environment, patient safety and professional integrity must remain non-negotiable.
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“The patient must always come first. Ethics, transparency and patient welfare must guide every decision, not commercial pressure,” he said.
He urged pharmacists to expand their role beyond dispensing, calling for stronger engagement in medication therapy management, antibiotic stewardship, patient counselling and structured referral systems.
Subair also noted that pharmacies offering consistent, quality care would remain competitive despite rising pressure from informal drug vendors and large retail chains.
He highlighted technology as critical to the future of pharmacy practice, urging adoption of electronic patient records, inventory systems and automated refill reminders to improve efficiency and care delivery.
He further called for collaboration among independent pharmacy owners through joint procurement and shared business models to reduce costs and improve competitiveness.
Subair also advocated stronger partnerships between pharmacies, government agencies, healthcare providers and NGOs to boost health education and disease prevention efforts.
“The future of community pharmacy lies in ethical practice, patient-centred care, innovation and sustainable growth,” he said.
In his remarks, ACPN national chairman, Pharm. Ambrose Ezeh, said pharmacists must evolve beyond dispensing to become innovative healthcare providers and custodians of public health.
“Ethics, technology and data-driven practice will define the future relevance of our profession,” he said.
Ezeh also condemned unethical practices including licence misuse, improper dispensing and regulatory non-compliance, urging pharmacists to uphold professional standards.
The immediate past national chairman of ACPN, Prince Wale Oladigbolu, also urged pharmacists to remain committed to ethical practice despite economic pressures.
Speaking as chairman of the ceremony, he described community pharmacists as “the hope of the common man,” stressing their central role in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
“Be consistent with your ethics and source from the right places to minimise risk. That is my key message to community pharmacists,” he said.
Earlier, the Oyo State ACPN chairman, Pharm. Adebayo Gbadamosi, said the summit theme reflects the realities of modern pharmacy practice and the need to uphold ethics while improving access to quality healthcare services.
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