Can A Registered Nurse, Pharmacy Technician, Medical Doctor Or CHEW Open Community Pharmacy

Community pharmacy

Community pharmacy business is growing in Nigeria. Community pharmacy is operated by a registered pharmacist. They are under the direct supervision of the pharmacist council of Nigeria (PCN). However, so many people want to open a community pharmacy. Most of these people are not pharmacists.

I keep receiving questions on who is eligible to open a community pharmacy shop. Most people ask if a registered nurse, a pharmacy technician or medical doctor can open a community pharmacy shop. Even community health extension workers (CHEW) and other paramedics wish they can open one.

Register Nurse, Pharmacy Technician, Medical Doctor And CHEW

The answer is that no registered nurse, pharmacy technician, medical doctor or even a CHEW can open a community pharmacy in Nigeria. However, they can open a patent (chemist) shop. You may wonder why they cannot. Let me explain.

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A pharmacist is a drug expert. They know the in and out of every drug hence they are right to be in charge of the drug. Your question may be that other paramedics like medical doctors and registered nurses also know about drugs? Their knowledge of drugs is limited. If they are empowered to open a community pharmacy, they may not know the pharmaceutics of drugs. Only pharmacists are well grounded on complementary medicine (CM) which until now is kind of a mystery to other paramedics.

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I know your next question. There are some scenarios whereby a non pharmacist opens a community pharmacy. This is against the law and the culprit when caught will be dealt with. However, such premises use the licence of a registered pharmacist. They pay the pharmacist for using the licence and another for working. Guess now you understand.