Pharmacists under the umbrella of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) have called for a conscious effort at developing a holistic pharmacy workforce to cope with the training of pharmacists at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in Nigeria.
The idea which aimed at promoting an effective academic and industrial linkage was one of the major points enunciated by the association at a two-day colloquium with the theme: ‘Repositioning Pharmacy in an Unstable Economy’ held in Lagos.
PSN President, Prof. Cyril Usifoh, explained that the “Colloquium endorsed the need for bilateral cooperation between the West Africa Postgraduate College of Pharmacists(WAPCP) and the universities in developing holistic pharmacy personnel driven workforce to cope with the training of pharmacists at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in Nigeria.’’
According to him, it also recommended an improved programme of action to achieve the goals by building a template that would impact on the country’s healthcare delivery system.
“Colloquium called for enhanced management architecture between the Postgraduate College of Pharmacists and universities through cataclysm engendered by appropriate government templates that these proposals will be concretized at a crucial juncture our ailing health system must be revitalised.
The event which had who is who in the pharmaceutical sub-sector, captains of industry and the academia in attendance, adopted steps taken by Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) to expand the frontiers of routine immunisation beyond COVID-19 vaccine.
The position of the colloquium include that “negotiations must be activated to ensure operational recognition of community pharmacies as health facilities accredited to formally undertake routine immunisation, family planning, ante-natal care and related primary-care services as provided for in existing health statutes at federal, state and local government levels.’’
The association called on the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to carefully evaluate the various provisions of the PCN Act 2022 sections 22, 27(1), 29(1), 29(2), 29(3), 33(1), 33(2) and 71 to enable it appreciate that the law in Nigeria today prohibits stocking, dispensing, sales of drugs in any facility/premises which does not have a superintendent pharmacist and is not registered by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria.
It said, “NHIA must as a lawful requirement, draw up its new operational guidelines to reflect the new realities in pharmacy practice to enjoy harmonious relationship within the ranks of all concerned stakeholders in health insurance.’’
Community pharmacy practitioners were advised to deploy Information Technology (IT) into their practice to pave the way for patient medication records data gathering and management, including pharmacovigilance. Similarly, the ACPN leadership is mandated to respond to need assessment for appropriate use of containers and labels in the dispensing of drugs.
