Professionalism during an emergency: Roles and experiences of community pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic in Lagos, Nigeria

Lagos, the largest cosmopolitan state in Nigeria, was disproportionately affected by COVID-19, harbouring 39.1 % of all confirmed cases and the highest number of deaths in the country. Community pharmacists played a significant role in the emergency response to the pandemic. However, their professionalism, perception of roles, enablers, and barriers to emergency response have yet to be fully explored. We aimed to explore the community pharmacists' professionalism and experiences on emergency response during the COVID-19 pandemic in Lagos, Nigeria. We conducted a qualitative study using online semi-structured 30- to 45-min interviews in June 2023. We performed a thematic data analysis to identify key themes and patterns. Data saturation was reached at eight participants. Community pharmacists were in most cases the first point of contact by the local communities in seeking information about the disease, first aid or other health services related to COVID-19. Community pharmacists provided health education, vaccination advocacy, counselling to allay public anxiety, administered first aid to patients suspected of COVID-19, and referred them to healthcare facilities. The identified barriers to effective emergency response include the lack of recognition and integration of community pharmacists by the local and national authorities, the lack and/or delay of COVID-19 guidelines, and the lack of clear definition of roles and scope of practice. The study underscores the importance of recognising and harnessing existing systems, both formal and informal, operating in a particular community for a robust response during an emergency to mitigate its impact.