The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has raised concerns about the Federal Government’s plan to introduce new regulations for healthcare facilities. The ACPN argues that these proposed reforms are unnecessary and might prove counterproductive.
In a statement from ACPN Chairman Ambrose Eze and Secretary Omokhafe Ashore, the association emphasized that the existing National Health Act of 2014, if fully implemented, could effectively address the issues of unregulated and substandard healthcare facilities. The pharmacists urged the government to focus on enforcing current laws rather than creating new regulatory bodies.
The ACPN also criticized the government’s proposal to establish a new National Health Regulatory facility, describing it as wasteful and inefficient, especially given the existing underfunding of healthcare regulatory agencies. They called on the government to reconsider its approach, highlighting the contradiction of cutting funding for existing regulatory bodies while proposing to create new ones.