Appolonia Adeyemi 
The Clinical Pharmacists Association of Nigeria (CPAN) has called on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to urgently transform existing healthcare policies to mandate multidisciplinary integration for medication safety, warning that systemic gaps in the medication-use process continue to endanger patients across the country.
The call, contained in a letter dated January 15, 2026, was addressed to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare and signed by CPAN’s National Chairman, Dr. Maureen Nwafor, and National Secretary, Dr. AbdulMuminu Isah.
The appeal comes against the backdrop of the widely reported death of the son of renowned writer Chimamanda Adichie in a Lagos hospital, a tragedy that has reignited national debate about patient safety, governance failures and accountability in Nigeria’s health system. In the letter, CPAN expressed deep condolences to the Adichie family, noting that the loss of a child represents “a profound failure of our collective duty to protect the most vulnerable.”
While emphasising the need for an independent investigation to establish the specific circumstances of the case, the association said the incident underscores broader systemic weaknesses, particularly in high-risk areas such as paediatric anaesthesia and critical care.
According to CPAN, international best practice shows that patient safety is significantly improved when care is delivered through structured, collaborative, multidisciplinary teams. High-alert medicines, including sedatives and anaesthetics, the association noted, carry inherent risks that cannot be adequately mitigated by a single profession working in isolation.
The association cited extensive global and local evidence demonstrating the value of integrating clinical pharmacists into anaesthesia and critical care teams. Studies from different healthcare systems show that pharmacist involvement improves medication safety, optimises antibiotic use, reduces adverse drug events and delivers cost savings.
CPAN also pointed to Nigerian evidence, including a recent study from an intensive care unit in a South-South tertiary hospital, where clinical pharmacist interventions were shown to be pivotal in identifying and resolving drug therapy problems and improving patient outcomes.
“Pharmacists’ involvement in critical care significantly reduces adverse drug events, mortality, and length of ICU stay,” the association stated, describing clinical pharmacists as “vital members of the care team” rather than peripheral actors. Beyond clinical outcomes, CPAN highlighted patient acceptance as a key factor supporting reform.
Research conducted in Nigeria, the association said, shows that patients recognise the expertise of clinical pharmacists and are willing to pay for enhanced clinical pharmacy services, including in chronic disease management and telehealth models. This, CPAN argued, demonstrates both the feasibility and sustainability of expanded pharmacist-led care.
To address the systemic gaps exposed by recent events, CPAN urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to champion a set of concrete reforms. These include mandating the integration of clinical pharmacists into care teams in all high-risk areas such as paediatrics, anaesthesiology, intensive care, oncology and emergency medicine, across both public and private facilities.
The association also called for the development and enforcement of robust national protocols for high-alert medication use, particularly in paediatric care, with mandatory multidisciplinary input.
Other recommendations include strengthening hospital accreditation standards to require active clinical pharmacy services, promoting inter-professional education among healthcare trainees, and institutionalising clinical pharmacy services with clear funding and deployment frameworks across all tiers of care.
CPAN said these measures would significantly improve patient care by reducing preventable medication errors, enhancing accountability, and fostering a culture of teamwork and safety within hospitals.
By embedding medication expertise at the point of care, the association argued, Nigeria can move closer to a resilient, patient-centred and globally competitive health system.
“Honouring this loss requires more than sympathy; it demands courageous action,” CPAN said, pledging its readiness to partner with government and other stakeholders to advance reforms that place patient safety at the centre of healthcare delivery.
