Can Community Pharmacists Stop the Next Pandemic? Pharmacist Samuel Chukwuebuka Ewelike Says Yes.

Folalumi Alaran

A clinical pharmacist and public health researcher, Pharmacist Samuel Chukwuebuka Ewelike, has called for a fundamental restructuring of Nigeria’s approach to viral pandemic response, warning that fragmented, reactionary strategies will continue to fail the population in the face of emerging infectious threats like COVID-19 and future outbreaks.

Ewelike, who shared his insights during a public health forum in Lagos, maintained that effective pandemic control is not achieved through sporadic interventions but through the deliberate integration of community pharmacies into the frontline of epidemic intelligence, surveillance, and vaccine advocacy.

He argued that Nigeria’s experience with COVID-19 exposed critical gaps in trust, communication, and access, gaps that cannot be closed by government directives alone but require the active engagement of trusted community-based health professionals operating within a structured and well-supported framework.

While acknowledging the immense pressure placed on the healthcare system during the height of the pandemic, Ewelike described the crisis as a wake-up call, emphasizing that community pharmacists remain the most accessible yet vastly underutilized asset in the nation’s public health emergency response architecture.

“The COVID-19 pandemic revealed a hard truth: when the system is overwhelmed, communities turn to the pharmacist closest to them. Yet, many of these pharmacists were not equipped, trained, or empowered to serve as effective first responders for testing, triage, or trusted vaccine information,” Ewelike stated.

He described the establishment of robust community-based surveillance systems as the cornerstone of any effective viral pandemic preparedness strategy. According to him, early detection of unusual symptom patterns at the community pharmacy level can serve as an early warning system, triggering rapid response before an outbreak spirals out of control.

“Pharmacists see the first signs of fever, cough, and unexplained symptoms long before patients reach hospitals. If we are trained to recognize and report these signals through a structured surveillance network, we become the eyes and ears of the public health system,” he said.

Drawing from his work during the COVID-19 response, including his involvement in community-based vaccination acceptance surveys and digital health campaigns, Ewelike cited essential interventions he has championed to bridge the gap between policy and practice.

On vaccine hesitancy, he emphasized the need for culturally and linguistically resonant messaging that addresses the specific fears, religious beliefs, and misinformation circulating within local communities. He pointed to his collaboration with institutions such as Medshop Healthcare in Lagos, where mental health first aid was integrated with vaccine advocacy to build trust and improve uptake among healthcare workers.

He also highlighted the role of digital platforms in combating misinformation during the pandemic. Through coordinated online campaigns via Twitter and Instagram, he worked to counter false narratives about COVID-19, its origins, and preventive measures, reaching young and urban populations where misinformation often spreads fastest.

Ewelike however cautioned that awareness campaigns alone are insufficient without parallel investments in infrastructure, including access to personal protective equipment, rapid diagnostic tools, and clear referral pathways.

He stated, “A pharmacist cannot be expected to function as a first responder if they lack the basic tools to protect themselves or the training to confidently counsel a fearful patient. Empowerment must be tangible, not theoretical.”

He urged regulatory bodies, including the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria and the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, to take visible leadership in developing and disseminating clear protocols for pharmacist roles during viral outbreaks. These protocols, he argued, must cover infection prevention and control, patient triage, accurate information dissemination, and ethical reporting mechanisms.

According to him, hands-on training in epidemic intelligence, such as the courses he has completed with the Global Emerging Pathogens Treatment Consortium, must become standard for community pharmacists, preparing them to recognize threats and respond effectively under pressure.

He added that sustainable pandemic preparedness also requires addressing the psychological toll on frontline health workers. His integration of mental health first aid into workplace wellness programs during COVID-19 demonstrated that protecting the mental well-being of healthcare providers is essential to maintaining a functioning response system.

Without this holistic approach, Ewelike warned, Nigeria risks repeating the same mistakes when the next viral threat emerges.

“By transforming community pharmacies into hubs of surveillance, trusted vaccine education, and frontline psychological support, we can build a health system that does not crumble under crisis but stands resilient. The next pandemic is not a matter of if, but when. The question is whether we will be ready,” Ewelike concluded.