Pharmacists seek recognition to undertake routine immunisation, others – New Telegraph

Pharmacists under the auspices of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria have adopted all necessary steps taken by the Association of Community Pharmacist of Nigeria (ACPN) to expand the frontiers of routine immunisation beyond COVID-19 vaccine.

The PSN made its position known in a communiqué issued at the end of the PSN Colloquim 2023 which held in Ikeja from February 3 to 4. According to the communiqué which was signed by the President of PSN,Prof. Cyril Usifoh and the National Secretary of the association, Gbenga Falabi, the Colloquim suggested 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 PSN Colloquim 2023 with the theme ‘Repositioning Pharmacy In An Unstable Economy,’ similarly stressed the need for legislative action to redress the vicious cycle of drug scarcity in all public hospitals in Nigeria. It also reminded all practitioners in community pharmacy space to deploy information technology (IT) into their practice to pave the way for patient medication records data gathering and management including pharmacovigilance. “Colloquium in similar spirit mandated the ACPN leadership to respond to need assessment for appropriate use of containers and labels in the dispensing of drugs.”

In addition, the PSN seized the discourse of the colloquium to demand for a new scheme of service from the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation in the pharmacy cadre which will recognise the National Universities Commission (NUC) approved Pharm. D as entry point and consultant cadre status as terminal point for pharmacists in public service in Nigeria.

The Colloquium advised hospital and administrative pharmacists to build on their landmark Annual General Meeting (AGM) resolution at their national conference in Lafia, Nasarawa State in 2022 to embrace the appropriate trade union for their cadre as a veritable means to strengthen agitations related to growth and development of hospital pharmacy practice in Nigeria. Furthermore, the Colloquium directed eligible Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists to hold forth as they continue to consolidate efforts that will yield to full implementation of this deserved benefit package nationwide.

The Colloquium emphasised a need for the PSN and PCN to invoke the disciplinary templates to sanction erring pharmacists who connive with their hospital managements to violate code of ethics, pharmacy laws and a wide range of PSN resolutions in the process of scurrying pecuniary gains and interests. Usifoh and Falabi however called on the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) secretariat to carefully evaluate the various provisions of the PCN Act 2022 in 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 (PCN).

“Colloquium suggested that the NHIA must as a lawful requirement draw up its new operational guidelines to reflect the new realities in pharmacy practice to enjoy harmonious relationships within the ranks of all concerned stakeholders in health insurance.” The Colloquium reminded the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) to encourage rational dispensing and prescription of drugs in Nigeria by developing a framework for the long envisaged National Prescription Policy, while also articulating an approved blueprint that compels sustainable models of Rural Pharmacy Practice in Nigeria.

“Colloquium endorsed the need for bilateral cooperation between the West Africa Postgraduate College of Pharmacy (WAPCP) and the universities in developing a holistic pharmacy personnel driven workforce to cope with the training of pharmacists at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in Nigeria. “Colloquium called for an enhanced management architecture between the postgraduate college of pharmacists and universities through cataclysm engendered by appropriate government templates that these proposals will be concretised at a crucial juncture our ailing health system must be revitalised.” On his part, Dr. Fidelis Ayebae the chairman of the occasion on Day 2 in his address reiterated that the Pharma industry does not significantly feature in the GDP equation of Nigeria, but counselled on the need for organised and strategic way to approach things “to draw value to ourselves as pharmacists.

This will ensure that pharmacists are strategically placed as heads of ministries and parastatals,” Ayebae added. In attendance at the colloquium were Usifoh and some members of national executive council (NEC); Past Presidents of PSN, Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, (Chairman College of Past Presidents); Yaro Budah; Anthony Akhimien; Olumide Akintayo; Chairman Board of Fellows, (Dr.) Joel Adagadzu; Registrar PCN, Pharm. I. B. Ahmed; among others.

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