FG LAUNCHES ELECTRONIC PHARMACY REGULATIONS 2026 TO CURB FAKE DRUGS, BOOST DIGITAL HEALTH
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has launched the Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026 aimed at strengthening oversight, improving medicine safety, and regulating the country’s rapidly expanding digital pharmaceutical market.
The initiative, unveiled in Abuja on Friday, comes amid growing concerns over counterfeit drugs and weak supply chain controls in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollum, represented by Director of Hospital Services, Abisola Adegoke, described the regulation as a major milestone in healthcare governance.
She said the framework was developed through collaboration with technology innovators, healthcare providers, and legal experts, noting that it strikes a balance between accessibility, security, and accountability.
Kachollum added that the regulation is designed to protect Nigerians as healthcare delivery increasingly shifts to digital platforms, while also strengthening the country’s broader e-health ecosystem.
The Registrar of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, Ibrahim Ahmed, said the COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant gaps in regulating online pharmacy operations.
According to him, the new regulation establishes a comprehensive legal and technical framework for the registration, licensing, and monitoring of digital pharmaceutical services. He added that it includes the introduction of a National Electronic Pharmacy Platform to enhance transparency and traceability.
Ahmed noted that the framework aligns with international best practices and ensures that only qualified professionals are permitted to operate in the online pharmacy space.
Also speaking, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, said the regulation forms part of broader reforms to organise Nigeria’s pharmaceutical market and attract investment.
He stressed that the new system would improve access to medicines, strengthen prescription management, enhance data privacy, and ensure consumer protection.
Pate warned that all e-pharmacy operators must comply with the new rules or face sanctions, urging stakeholders to engage with regulators and prioritise patient safety.
He added that the government would combine enforcement with collaboration, assuring compliant operators of support while promising stricter action against violators.
Nigeria’s pharmaceutical market, estimated at over $10 billion, has been challenged by the proliferation of substandard and falsified medicines. According to the World Health Organization, about 10 to 15 per cent of medicines in low- and middle-income countries fall into this category.
The new regulation is expected to improve medicine traceability, expand safe access to pharmaceuticals in both urban and underserved areas, and position Nigeria as a key destination for digital health investment.
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