Involve Us in Tackling Ebola and Other Diseases, Pharmacists Urge Federal and State Governments

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) urged President Bola Tinubu and state governors to involve community pharmacists in efforts to contain Ebola and other infectious diseases, following a recent Ebola confirmation in Nigeria. National chairman Pharmacist Ambrose Ezeh called for a nationwide “Pharmacy First” protocol and for pharmacies to be integrated into the national disease surveillance system. The protocol would make pharmacies frontline centres for symptom recognition, public health education, basic screening and prompt referral of suspected cases. The ACPN said its network could activate the screening protocol within 48 hours of a government directive.