1. The FMOH the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria and other stakeholders should Convene a stakeholders meeting to discuss the current practices and potential roles that PMVs can play in selling and administering injectable contraception services in Nigeria especially given that PMVs are the first point of contact for many people who practice self-care for reproductive health
2. The NAPMED with the support of governmental and
relevant nongovernmental agencies should support and organize continuing education programs for PMVs to improve their provision of family planning services.
3. Given the growing importance of family planning
in Nigeria contraceptives-including injectable
contraceptives-should be added to the list of drugs that
PMVs are expected to stock in their shops.
4.Despite the finding that some PMVs are administering
injectable contraceptives more evidence is needed to
determine the safety and feasibility of this practice A pilot study should be conducted to train PMVs to counsel women about injectables screen women for eligibility
sell the method and administer injections with close
supervision and monitoring by the NAPMED and the
FMOH.The PMVs should also be trained to refer clients to
health facilites for complications and for the provision of
long-acting and permanent methods of contraception.
Conclusion
Although pharmacy laws in Nigerua do not permit PMVs to offer injectable
contraceptives 12.6% of PMVs in this study reported selling and 14.9%reported
administering injectable contraceptives in response to demand from clients.A
sizable number of women slso reported that they had received injectable
services from PMVs. PMVs are likely to continue these practices because they are often the nearest health providers to people living in medically underserved communities.However fewer than half of
the PMVs surveyed in this study had ever been formally trained to provide family
planning services needed to ensure that
PMVs are a safe contact for clients with family planning needs.