The Federal Government has launched the Electronic Pharmacy Regulations platform to strengthen oversight, improve medicine safety and regulate Nigeria’s fast-growing digital pharmaceutical market, amid rising concerns over fake drugs and weak supply chain controls.
The platform, championed by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, PCN, s designed to regulate digital pharmaceutical services and improve public health outcomes.
Inaugurating the platform, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, said the initiative signified Nigeria’s commitment to building a world-class regulatory environment.
Pate noted that pharmacy regulation had faced significant challenges for over three decades but expressed optimism that the new platform would strengthen oversight and accountability.
He said the initiative would enable evidence-based monitoring of pharmaceutical practices while supporting innovation and investment in the health sector.
“This launch is a testament to our collective commitment to advancing technology in the service of health, safety and human dignity.
“It is a decisive step to ensure that pharmaceutical practice in Nigeria aligns with national and global health priorities, reflecting the realities of the 21st century.
“It enables the country to adopt evidence-based approaches to monitoring and protecting public health while supporting innovation and investment,” he said.
The minister added that the platform would help establish a safe, accessible and well-regulated national e-pharmacy ecosystem driven by digital technology.
Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of PCN, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed, said the need to regulate online pharmacy operations became more urgent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ahmed said the pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital tools and e-commerce in healthcare, exposing longstanding inefficiencies in pharmaceutical supply chains, particularly in Africa and Nigeria.
“This has led to the increasing adoption of digitised distribution of essential medicines through cost-effective and technology-enabled models.
“For decades, PCN has regulated pharmacy education, training, practice and business in Nigeria. However, as the world shifts towards digital solutions, access to medicines has evolved.
“The Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026 provide a comprehensive legal and technical framework for the registration, licensing, operation and oversight of digital pharmaceutical services,” he said.
He added that the framework would ensure that ethical standards and patient safety are not compromised in the delivery of online pharmaceutical services.
Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollum, represented by the Director of Hospital Services of the ministry, Dr Abisola Adegoke, described the development as a major milestone in healthcare regulation.
“It is an honor and a privilege for me to deliver the opening remarks… at the official launch of the Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026,” she said.
Kachollum added, “It gives me great pleasure to welcome our dignitaries and distinguished guests to this milestone in the history of healthcare regulation in our nation.”
She commended the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare for facilitating the process. “This framework is a product of collaborative engagement with relevant partners, including technology innovators, healthcare providers and legal experts,” she said.
Highlighting the significance of the policy, she noted, “The document balances the need for accessibility, security and accountability.”
Kachollum stressed that the framework is designed to protect Nigerians as healthcare delivery increasingly shifts online.
“We meet this evolution with a robust modern framework designed to ensure that ethical standards, honesty and trustworthiness are not compromised, to save citizens from potential risk,” she said.
She added that the regulation would strengthen Nigeria’s broader digital health system.
“The development of this regulation will further provide the needed backbone for the national electronic pharmacy policy,” she said.
“It is expected to improve medicine traceability, strengthen prescription regime and expand safe pharmaceutical access for both underserved areas and urban centers,” Kachollum added.
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Nigeria’s pharmaceutical market is estimated to be worth over $10 billion, with rapid growth driven by population expansion, urbanization and increasing demand for healthcare services.
However, experts say weak regulation and fragmented supply chains have long enabled the circulation of counterfeit and substandard medicines. The World Health Organization estimates that about 10 to 15 per cent of medicines in low- and middle-income countries, including Nigeria, are substandard or falsified.
The rise of e-commerce and digital health platforms—accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic—has further transformed how Nigerians access medicines, creating both opportunities and risks.
While making his presentation, the Registrar of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, Pharmacist Ibrahim Ahmed, said the pandemic exposed critical gaps.
“The need to regulate online pharmacy operations in Nigeria became more pertinent with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
“The pandemic accelerated interest in e-commerce… and highlighted long-running deficiencies in health systems including inefficiencies of pharmaceutical supply chains, especially in Africa,” Ahmed added.
He explained that the shift to digital platforms has outpaced existing regulatory systems.
“As the world pivots towards a digital direction, the ways in which patients access life-saving medications have evolved,” he said.
“Today, we meet that evolution with a robust, modern framework designed to ensure that ethical standards are not compromised and to save customers from potential risks.”
Ahmed said the new regulation establishes a comprehensive structure for digital pharmaceutical services.
“The regulations establish a comprehensive legal and technical framework for the registration, licensing, operation and oversight of digital pharmaceutical services,” he said.
He added that the framework aligns Nigeria with global standards while encouraging innovation.
“Our objective is to establish a regulatory framework that aligns with international best practices for the protection of consumers, while fostering innovation in the healthcare sector,” he said.
Ahmed noted that the regulation introduces a National Electronic Pharmacy Platform to improve transparency and traceability.
“We will certify and license electronic pharmacies and provide a platform for verification of electronic pharmacies,” he said.
“We are safeguarding the public by ensuring that only persons with requisite knowledge and qualifications are involved in online pharmacy practice,” he added.
NAN
