From Imhotep to Medicine Security Builders: Repositioning Pharmacy for Pharmaceutical Sovereignty and Health System Resilience in Africa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51412/psnnjp.2026.002Keywords:
Medicine security, pharmaceutical sovereignty, pharmacy evolution, pharmaceutical manufacturing, Africa, health systemsAbstract
Background: Pharmacy is one of the oldest scientific professions, with its roots traced to ancient Egypt under the intellectual legacy of Imhotep. Over several millennia, the discipline evolved from herbal preparation and compounding to industrial pharmaceutical manufacturing, biotechnology innovation and digital health integration. Despite this long historical evolution, pharmacy practice across much of Africa remains disproportionately retail-oriented and highly dependent on imported medicines. This structural imbalance weakens medicine security and constrains pharmaceutical sovereignty.
Objective: This paper examines the historical evolution of pharmacy. It proposes a transformation framework that repositions the profession from producing résumé-oriented graduates to developing medicine security builders capable of strengthening pharmaceutical manufacturing, regulatory science, digital health integration and policy leadership.
Methods: A historical–analytical approach was used, drawing on literature from pharmaceutical history, health systems governance, regulatory science and pharmaceutical industrial policy.
Results: The analysis identifies key structural gaps in pharmaceutical education, regulatory capacity and industry integration. A conceptual model—the Medicine Security Builders Framework—is proposed to guide the transformation of pharmacy education and practice toward pharmaceutical sovereignty.
Conclusion: Repositioning pharmacy toward medicine security leadership will strengthen health security, improve pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and enable Africa to build resilient pharmaceutical ecosystems.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Prof. Lere Baale (FPSN, FPCPharm, FNAPharm)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
