The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has raised a critical public health alarm, revealing a staggering disparity in the nation’s pharmaceutical sector: Nigeria is currently flooded with nearly three million illegal and unregistered drug outlets, vastly outnumbering the country’s fewer than 50,000 registered premises.
​The professional body is urgently calling on the federal government and regulatory agencies to initiate immediate, aggressive enforcement actions to clamp down on these illicit operators before they completely compromise national healthcare.
​According to data highlighted by the PSN, the ratio of illegal operators to legitimate, regulated pharmacies is now roughly 60 to 1. This massive gap means that the vast majority of Nigerians, particularly in rural and underserved urban communities are purchasing life-saving medications from completely unverified sources.
​”The sheer scale of unregistered premises is a ticking time bomb for public health,” the PSN stated, emphasizing that these outlets operate entirely outside the purview of standard pharmaceutical regulations.
​The proliferation of these unauthorized outlets poses several severe risks to the public like Counterfeit and Substandard Drugs, Improper Storage Conditions and Lack of Professional Oversight.
Without licensed pharmacists to dispense medications, counsel patients, and check for dangerous drug interactions, the risk of accidental poisoning and under-dosing skyrockets.
​The PSN is urging a coordinated crackdown involving the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and law enforcement agencies.
​The Society stresses that without stricter penalties, closure of illegal premises, and a streamlined process to help willing operators transition into legality, the spread of unsafe medicines will continue to claim lives unchecked.
​”We cannot achieve universal health coverage or ensure patient safety when the drug distribution chain is dominated by unregulated actors,” the PSN concluded. “Tougher enforcement is no longer just a regulatory preference; it is a national security necessity.”
