Community Pharmacy Practice in Nigeria: The Dilemma of Regulation

Abstract

In Nigeria pharmacists are in chains everywhere in the practice of their chosen profession. This work sets out to unravel the contributions of the multiplicity of enactments on the subject, the use of committees, for example, the pharmacists inspection committee and executive officers as well as the abuse of powers by the agencies established under the enactments, to the miasma. In doing so, this work adopts the doctrinal method of research which involves the use of primary and secondary sources of law. Amidst other causes, this work observes that: (1) duplication and overlap of functions in the multiple enactments, (2) questionable provisions, (3) misconception and misapplication of the law, and (4) acts of abuses by the administrative agencies are the major contributors to the problems of the pharmacist in Nigeria. As to the solutions to the problems in pharmacy practice in Nigeria this work recommends: (1) refinement of the existing law, (2) pharmacists be exposed to the knowledge of administrative law; (3) pharmacists and chemists be made members of any legislative body or committee to enact laws or make regulations on drug matters.