PSN Advocates Workforce to Train Undergraduates/Postgraduates Pharmacists

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.

The association urged the Federal Ministry of Health 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.’’

The gathering of pharmacists noted with concern that although Nigeria boasts of 170 universities and 20 accredited Pharmacy Schools but without an existing structure for the promotion and exchange of knowledge between the institutions and the pharmaceutical industry.

“A few collaborations existed in clinical development/ bioequivalence studies but not many in API or drug dosage form development underestimation of the potential value of a university-industry collaboration within the pharmaceutical industry.’’  It attributed it to the “low level entrepreneurship mindset within the university or academic community.’’

PSN reasoned that moving forward, the key enablers include government, universities, industry stakeholders and professional bodies/advocacy groups should forge a synergy to change the narration. It charged the government to enact laws that would ensure public-private partnership to commercialise inventions and treat potential drug insecurity/shortages as national or existential risk as well as create tax credits for companies that sponsor R&D in universities, clinical trials. It also advocated provision of funding options and grants to support or facilitate university-industry collaborations.

Further more on pharmacy education, the body of pharmacists said, “overall, the future of pharmacy education is characterised by increased use of technology, a greater emphasis on inter-professional education and practice, and a focus on preparing students to be leaders in population health and health systems.”

It argued that “as the healthcare system continues to evolve and change, pharmacy education will play an increasingly important role in training the next generation of pharmacists to meet the needs of patients and communities.”

The colloquium stressed the need for legislative action to redress the vicious cycle of drug scarcity in all public hospitals in Nigeria and demanded 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 Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) approved Pharm. D as entry point and consultant cadre status as terminal point for pharmacists in public service in Nigeria.

Chairman of the two-day occasion, Dr. Fidelis Ayebae, observed albeit with regret that the Pharma industry does not significantly feature in the GDP equation of Nigeria. He advised on the need for pharmacists to strategically draw value to themselves as professionals. “This will ensure that pharmacists are strategically placed as heads of ministries and parastatals,’’ he said.

The pharmacists insisted on a disciplined, ethical and professionally inclined pharmacy workforce in the public service and 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.’’

A former President of PSN, Olumide Akintayo, expressed deep worries at the poor state of healthcare delivery in the country and reiterated a strong need to challenge the decadent in the health sector robustly and decently. He said, “we must all rise to change the prevailing structure grounded in monarchical antiquity if there will be thunderous pomp and pageantry in the annals of healthcare in Nigeria.’’

The pharmacists criticised what it described as “the politics of duplicitous expediency orchestrated by the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health in dealing with the regularisation of the training of Resident Pharmacists in Federal Health Institutions as contained in circulars issued by the same Federal Ministry of Health since June 2015.’’ They claimed that the Federal Ministry of Health had deliberately stalled the full implementation of consultant cadre for pharmacists in the public sector of federal level despite the fulfillment of due process as epitomised by the circulars from the Office of Head of Civil Service of the Federation in 2020 and 2021.