22nd January, 2020
By Jethro Ibileke
A new law that will regulate the practice of pharmacy and checkmate activities of quackery in the industry in the country will soon be implemented.
The Registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharm. Elijah Mohammed, disclosed Tuesday, at the 9th Oath-Taking/Induction ceremony of graduating pharmacy students of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State.
The Registrar noted that the government has identified the menace of these quacks and is making everything possible to flush them out.
He added that by April this year, the law will be fully implemented and will take its course in the country.
According to him, “By April, a new law for pharmacist practice will be in place. And for those individuals in the pharmaceutical landscape, we are going to catch up with them; we are going to flush them out.
“Those laws are going to catch up with them and by the time we start implementing those laws, they just have to pack their things and look for another business to do.”
Mohammed implored the graduands to be committed to the service of humanity and put their patient first rather than money, saying “you are going out there to make people well.”
He said, “As you are going out, in as much you are going to make money, your major priority should be service to humanity; you are going out there to make people well; you are going there to give succour to people; you are going out there to make life meaningful for the people.”
On her part, Prof. (Mrs.) Mbang Femi-Oyewo, who gave the keynote address, urged the graduands to add value to the profession be more effective in service delivery to the society.
“Be focused, determined, hardworking and bumble. Uphold your professional training and ethics in your various endeavours,” she urged the graduands.
Earlier in his welcome speech, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, underscored the important role of pharmacists in patients’ management, hence the high demand for the profession in the health sector.
He, however, called on the PCN to advance the course for digital innovation that will include electronic prescription, robotics for central presumption, processing and nationwide monitoring for quacks and fake drugs in the profession.
“The pharmacist occupies a very important position in the hierarchy of healthcare administration in Nigeria and plays a key role in patients’ therapy management – making them feel better and get well as quickly as possible.
“The high demand for pharmacists in the healthcare sector is quite understandable and is hinged on the fact that pharmacists help to maximize health outcomes and prevent medication error.
“I call on the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria to advance the course for digital innovation in Pharmacy, to include but not limited to electronic prescription, robotics for central presumption, processing and nationwide monitoring for quacks and fake drugs,” Ezemonye said.
A total of 121 students graduands of the 2018/2019 academic session were inducted.