Pharmacists Ask Senate to Stop NHFRA Bill, Warn of Fresh Health Crisis

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio to halt the proposed National Health Facility Regulatory Agency (NHFRA) Bill, warning that its passage could trigger fresh instability in Nigeria’s already fragile health sector.

In a petition addressed to the Senate President and made available to journalists on Sunday, the association argued that the proposed legislation was unnecessary because existing laws already provide adequate legal frameworks for regulating health facilities across the country.

The petition, titled “Stop the National Health Facility Regulatory Agency (NHFRA) Bill in National Interest,” was signed by the National Chairman of the ACPN, Pharm. Ambrose Ezeh.

According to the association, the National Health Act 2014 already contains provisions for the regulation of health facilities, making the establishment of another agency an unnecessary duplication of responsibilities.

“We strongly urge the National Assembly and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation to fact-check and stop further action on this bill in the national interest,” Ezeh said.

The pharmacists argued that Nigeria already has statutory regulatory agencies overseeing major health professions, including the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

They warned that creating the NHFRA would duplicate existing functions, increase bureaucracy and place additional financial pressure on government resources without addressing any genuine regulatory gap.

The ACPN maintained that the real regulatory challenge lies within federal tertiary health institutions such as teaching hospitals and Federal Medical Centres.

According to the association, this gap should be addressed through the activation of the Tertiary Health Facility Commission already provided for under the National Health Act rather than creating an entirely new agency.

“It is logical to activate existing provisions of the National Health Act rather than create another bureaucracy,” Ezeh stated.

The association also expressed concern over provisions in the proposed bill that reserve the office of the Director-General of the agency exclusively for medical doctors.

It alleged that the proposal was an attempt to centralise health sector regulation under one professional group, warning that such a move could reignite longstanding professional rivalries within the health sector.

“This will stir the hornet’s nest. Any agenda bordering on a centralised health regulatory agency will be resisted by stakeholders,” the association warned.

The ACPN urged the Senate to prioritise strengthening existing institutions instead of establishing another regulatory body, insisting that such an approach would better serve the interests of Nigeria’s healthcare system and promote harmony among health professionals.