Oluchi Chibuzor
As Ebola spreads in some African countries, especially East and Central Africa, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has placed its members on red alert as it issues emergency guidelines to heighten surveillance and strengthen infection prevention measures.
The President of PSN, Ayuba Ibrahim Tanko, said that although the Coordinating Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, has confirmed there are currently no cases of Ebola in Nigeria, however, as frontline healthcare professionals and primary points of care the association makes absolute vigilance imperative.
In advisory guidelines signed by Pate, PSN urged community pharmacies and institutional pharmacy departments across the county to immediately strengthen national biosecurity defenses.
It emphasised nationwide surveillance measures and urged members to maintain a high index of suspicion when attending to patients presenting symptoms consistent with Ebola, especially those with recent travel history to affected countries in East and Central Africa.
In the document titled, ‘Official Public Health Advisory: Enhanced Preparedness, Surveillance and Infection Prevention Guidelines for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)’, the PSN noted that the incubation period for Ebola virus ranges from two to 21 days, with infected individuals becoming contagious only after symptoms appear.
Tanko explained that early symptoms include sudden high fever, severe fatigue, muscle and joint pains, headaches, and sore throat, adding that advanced symptoms may progress to vomiting, diarrhea, skin rashes, impaired kidney and liver function, and bleeding from body openings.
To prevent possible spread of the disease, the PSN ordered the revival of hand hygiene stations by re-establishing visible, mandatory hand-washing stations with soap and running water or alcohol-based hand sanitisers (minimum 70 per cent isopropyl/ethyl alcohol) at all pharmacy entrance points.
It also advised that all frontline dispensing assistants and pharmacists wear appropriate medical masks and disposable gloves when interacting with patients showing visible respiratory or systemic illness. According to PSN, the Ebola virus is highly susceptible to standard disinfectants.
The PSN directed community pharmacies and institutional pharmacy departments to intensify disinfection of high-contact surfaces such as counters, payment terminals, door handles, and consulting areas using bleach solutions or alcohol-based disinfectants. Similarly, the society cautioned against conducting non-essential invasive point-of-care tests, such as blood glucose checks and malaria rapid diagnostic tests, for patients with unexplained fever, in order to minimise possible blood-borne exposure.
The society warned pharmacists against indiscriminate dispensing of antimalarial drugs and antibiotics for unexplained fever cases that fail to respond to standard treatment or are accompanied by severe gastrointestinal symptoms. Just as it urged pharmacists to counter misinformation and false claims about herbal cures, saltwater baths, and other unverified remedies for Ebola.
The advisory emphasised early supportive treatment in designated health facilities which it said significantly improves survival chances.
The PSN outlined emergency response steps for suspected Ebola cases presenting at pharmacies, including that pharmacists should immediately isolate such individuals in low-traffic areas while maintaining a safe distance. Pharmacy personnel were warned against direct contact with bodily fluids such as blood, vomit, or sweat without specialised protective equipment.
It further instructed pharmacists in the country to promptly contact the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Prevention through its toll-free emergency line 6232, or contact the State Ministry of Health Epidemiology desk/Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer (DSNO).
