PCN, Sproxil Partner to Develop AI Tools for Online Pharmacy Regulation in Nigeria

The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has formalised a collaboration with health technology company Sproxil to develop artificial intelligence-supported systems for online pharmacy regulation, pharmacy auditing and continuing professional education in Nigeria.

The collaboration was announced by Sproxil during the fifth Africa HealthTech Summit, held at the Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda from 30 September to 2 October 2026. The summit brought together policymakers, healthcare leaders, technology companies and development partners to discuss the use of digital innovation to strengthen health systems across Africa.

In a public announcement, Sproxil Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ashifi Gogo, said the collaboration would focus on developing an information exchange for online pharmacies, AI-enabled pharmacy auditing capabilities and generative AI-supported continuing education tailored to African languages.

The partnership comes as Nigeria moves to implement the Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026, which were launched by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on 10 April 2026. The regulations provide a framework for the registration and licensing of electronic pharmacy operators and platforms, prescription management, medicines supply and quality assurance, patient data protection, compliance monitoring and consumer protection.

The PCN’s May 2026 bulletin also identified the planned National Electronic Pharmacy Platform (NEPP) as a central system for facilitating, transacting and monitoring electronic pharmacy services in the country. The Council has presented the platform as a key component of the regulatory framework for digital pharmacy operations.

Three areas of planned collaboration

According to Sproxil’s announcement, the first area of work is an agentic AI information exchange for online pharmacies. The proposed system is intended to support information-sharing within the e-pharmacy ecosystem. Details of the information to be exchanged, participating operators, access controls and the system’s relationship with existing PCN regulatory platforms have not yet been made public.

The second area is the development of AI-enabled pharmacy auditing capabilities. Such tools could potentially support regulatory monitoring by helping to organise information and identify issues requiring further review. However, the parties have not publicly explained how the proposed tools will be used, what data they will process or how the Council will validate any findings generated by artificial intelligence.

The third area involves continuing education for pharmacists, using generative AI to personalise learning and provide content in African languages. The proposal could expand access to professional learning resources, although the intended languages, course content, accreditation arrangements and mechanisms for assessing learning outcomes remain to be clarified.

Building on digital medicine authentication

Sproxil’s existing work provides some context for its proposed role in the collaboration. The company develops mobile technology for product authentication, supply-chain visibility and data collection. Its published information describes systems that allow consumers to verify products through digital channels and support the monitoring of product movement. Sproxil also reports previous work with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on mobile product authentication in Nigeria.

The new collaboration, however, is distinct from medicine authentication alone. Its announced focus includes regulatory information exchange, pharmacy auditing and professional education. The extent to which existing Sproxil technology will be adapted for these purposes has not been disclosed.

Questions around implementation and patient protection

The collaboration introduces the prospect of using AI to support regulatory work in a sector where online medicine sales raise important questions about professional oversight, prescription validity, product quality, patient privacy and the accountability of digital service providers.

For pharmacists and e-pharmacy operators, the practical significance will depend on how the proposed tools align with the requirements of the Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026 and any related PCN guidelines. Patients’ interests will also depend on safeguards for personal health information, transparency about digital processes and clear channels for reporting concerns.

AI-supported auditing will require particular care. Any system used to flag potential regulatory breaches should have defined data-quality standards, human oversight, clear procedures for reviewing findings and safeguards against inaccurate or unfair decisions. The announcement does not yet specify the technical or regulatory safeguards planned for the proposed tools.

The collaboration was facilitated in Kigali with support from Investing in Innovation (i3) and Access to Markets, according to Sproxil. The company has not publicly detailed the implementation timetable, funding arrangements, pilot locations or performance indicators for the partnership.

The PCN–Sproxil collaboration therefore marks a new development in Nigeria’s digital pharmacy regulation, but its impact will depend on the systems eventually delivered, the safeguards established and how effectively the tools support the Council’s statutory responsibilities.