Ebola Resurgence: PSN Places Pharmacists on High Alert

Oluchi Chibuzor

With Ebola cases rising in several African nations, particularly in East and Central Africa, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has issued a red‑alert to its members, releasing emergency guidelines to boost surveillance and strengthen infection‑prevention protocols.

PSN President Ayuba Ibrahim Tanko noted that, although the Coordinating Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, has confirmed that Nigeria currently has no Ebola cases, the association stresses that pharmacists and other frontline health workers must remain fully vigilant.

In the advisory signed by Pate, PSN urged community pharmacies and institutional pharmacy departments nationwide to immediately reinforce national biosecurity measures.

The guidance calls for comprehensive surveillance and urges members to maintain a high index of suspicion when treating patients who exhibit symptoms consistent with Ebola, especially those who have recently travelled to affected regions of East and Central Africa.

In the document titled “Official Public Health Advisory: Enhanced Preparedness, Surveillance and Infection Prevention Guidelines for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD),” PSN states that the Ebola incubation period ranges from two to 21 days, and that individuals become contagious only after symptoms appear.

Tanko explained that early symptoms include sudden high fever, severe fatigue, muscle and joint pains, headaches, and sore throat. Advanced symptoms may progress to vomiting, diarrhea, skin rashes, impaired kidney and liver function, and bleeding from body openings.

To curb potential spread, PSN has ordered the re‑establishment of visible, mandatory hand‑washing stations with soap and running water or alcohol‑based hand sanitisers (minimum 70 percent isopropyl/ethyl alcohol) at all pharmacy entrance points.

The society also advises all frontline dispensing assistants and pharmacists to 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.

PSN directs 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. The society cautions against performing non‑essential invasive point‑of‑care tests—such as blood glucose checks and malaria rapid diagnostic tests—for patients with unexplained fever, to minimise possible blood‑borne exposure.

Pharmacists are warned against indiscriminate dispensing of antimalarial drugs and antibiotics for unexplained fever cases that do not respond to standard treatment or are accompanied by severe gastrointestinal symptoms. The advisory also urges pharmacists to counter misinformation and false claims about herbal cures, saltwater baths, and other unverified remedies for Ebola.

The guidance emphasises that early supportive treatment in designated health facilities significantly improves survival chances.

PSN outlines emergency response steps for suspected Ebola cases presenting at pharmacies, including immediate isolation of such individuals in low‑traffic areas while maintaining a safe distance. Pharmacy personnel are cautioned against direct contact with bodily fluids such as blood, vomit, or sweat without specialised protective equipment.

Pharmacists are instructed to promptly contact the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Prevention through its toll‑free emergency line 6232, or to reach out to the State Ministry of Health Epidemiology desk/Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer (DSNO).