Insights and recommendations: the potential of digital pharmacy for healthcare delivery in Nigeria

Alhaji, M. Mohammed; Uchenna Okafor; Munir Elelu et al

ePharma4FP Report Cover_IG Square

SECTOR

Health

PROJECT TYPE

Mixed method approach

Location

Nigeria

BEHAVIORAL THEME

Pharmacy | Digital health
OVERVIEW

Nigeria’s path to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is constrained by high out-of-pocket expenditure (over 70%), limited public financing, and severe health-worker shortages as a result of health workers’ emigration. Community pharmacies already function as the country’s de facto primary-care touchpoint, yet coverage remains inadequate at about one pharmacist per 17,000 Nigerians, far below global standards. E-pharmacies offer a scalable channel to close these gaps by expanding access to primary healthcare and family planning (FP) services through trusted, convenient, and discreet digital platforms. 

The Gates Foundation-supported ePharma4FP Project, delivered by a Society for Family Health (SFH)–led consortium with Busara, HealthPlus Pharmacy, and the PSN Foundation, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare, the Lagos State Ministry of Health, and the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, designed, tested, and optimized hybrid e-pharmacy models in Lagos State. Through mixed-methods behavioural, market, and systems research conducted between 2023 and 2025, the project generated clear evidence on feasibility, demand, equity, user trust, regulatory readiness, and commercial viability.

THEMATIC AREAS

Evidence from the ePharma4FP Project shows that e-pharmacy is an emerging and scalable channel for expanding equitable access to family planning and essential primary healthcare in Nigeria. Supportive national policies are taking shape, user readiness is clear across multiple segments, and inclusive digital models such as IVR and USSD have proven effective at reaching underserved populations. The conditions for scale now exist. Unlocking the full potential of e-pharmacy will require coordinated action from government, regulators, private-sector innovators, development partners, and community actors. With sustained collaboration, Nigeria can consolidate its readiness in digital pharmaceutical services and deliver safer, more efficient, and more equitable reproductive-health access while advancing UHC, FP2030 commitments, and national digital health priorities.

This report consolidates the key insights, evidence, and practical considerations the ePharma4FP Project generated in three years focused on optimizing hybrid e-pharmacy models for family planning and primary healthcare access in Nigeria. It synthesizes findings from behavioural research, market studies, equity pilots, platform evaluations, policy analysis, and business-case assessments conducted between 2023 and 2025. The document is intended to guide policymakers, regulators, private-sector innovators, development partners, and implementers seeking to strengthen Nigeria’s digital pharmacy ecosystem. It provides a clear evidence base, highlights operational and regulatory implications, and outlines actionable recommendations to support the safe, equitable, and scalable integration of e-pharmacy into the national health system.