WHAT FURTURE HAS PHAMACY IN NIGERIA? THE FEARS, THE PREJUDICE AND THE HOPE
Being the keynote address delivered by Dr. Lolu Ojo FPSN at the induction/Oath taking ceremony of the
faculty of pharmacy, Igbinedion University, Okada on wednessday,6th January, 2016.
I am delighted and honored to stand before you today as the keynote address speaker at the 5th
Induction/Oath-taking ceremony of the faculty of pharmacy, Igbinedion University Okada. I had the
privilege of working in Benin as a young pharmacist at the time when Okada town was gaining
ascendancy in the consciousness of many Nigerians with the activities of his famous son, Chief Gabriel
Osawaru Igbinedion. I had cause to visit the town once to confirm the many stories that we were told
about the transformation of the town by the singular person. Today, I am so happy to be back to Okada,
the famous town and the proud host of the prestigious Igbinedion University. I give God the glory foe
the opportunity of this address and will to thank the dean and the faculty staff for considering me
worthy of this assignment. I wish to thank my friend, Dr. Fred Oseji, the induction committee chairman,
for his close collaboration with me on this assignment.
Pharmacy is the science and technique of preparing and dispensing drugs. It is the health
profession that links the health sciences with chemical sciences and aims to ensure the safe and
effective use of pharmaceutical drugs (Wikipedia). From this definition, the importance of pharmacy to
the healthcare delivery in any nation cannot be overemphasized. It occupies a central position now and
will continue to be so far long as there is diseases which require drug therapy. It is therefore necessary
and very important for us to continue to talk about the future of the profession with a view to catching
up with the rest of the world.
Pharmacy in Nigeria had gone through different stages of development. From mere government
dispensers many years ago, pharmacists have moved on to become first class scientist with
specialization in different fields of pharmacy. Today, there are about 17 schools of pharmacy in Nigeria
(accredited by the Pharmacists’ Council of Nigeria (PCN)) offering courses from bachelor of pharmacy
degree to the doctor of philosophy (PhD) level. There are 19,559 pharmacists in the register of the
pharmacist council of Nigeria (PCN) but only 11,336 of this number renewed their licenses in 2014. With
a population of more than 170 million, Nigeria has the poorest “pharmacist to 10,000” population
figures (less than 1). This pharmacist to population ratio may not improve significantly very soon as our
universities are only producing an average of 1,165 pharmacist per year (2012-2014 data). There are
about 6000 Nigerian pharmacist practicing abroad mostly in Europe and America as they are so many
others who has chosen their endeavors in Nigeria.
In terms of practice, it was estimated in 2013 that there are about 127,068 healthcare facilities
in Nigeria, largely skewed in favour or urban settlement leaving the rural setting with little or nothing.
Most of the federal and state government owned facilities have pharmacists in their employment. There
are about 8500 community pharmacy outlets and I am sure that the number of unregistered outlets will
be in multiples of the quoted figures. Nigeria has a potentially huge local demand for drugs but with
pervasive poverty and extreme inequality, only a small percentage of the population can afford quality
healthcare and quality drugs. The Nigerian pharmaceutical industry at an estimated size of $1-1.6billion
is a neglible contributor (about 0.3%) to the country’s GDP and it is virtually non-existent in the world
pharmaceutical map. Only 30 percent of the drugs sold in Nigeria are manufactured locally. 70 percent is
imported, largely from China and India and because of weak local control; the market is bedeviled with
circulation of fake adulterated drugs. There is practically no R&D activity as most of the research based
companies only have scientific offices in Nigeria.
This profile of the profession and the practice should ordinarily suggest a future that should be
exciting as much as it should be interesting. However, the peculiar nature of our society has practically
removed he factor of excitement and reduces the work of the pharmacist to that of existence struggle.
Despite his sound education, the environment of practice does not allow the young graduates to do
their best. They are practically released into a system that is completely strange and for which they are
ill-prepared for. They have to struggle in practically all the areas of practice. In the hospital, the doctor is
the ‘boss’. He has cornered everything and infact, will prefer pharmacy and other ‘irritating’ Paramedicals (as he derisively calls the other health professionals) to be thrown out of the hospital. There
can only be one head of department who will probably retire as an assistant director or at best deputy
director. Everyone else must wait. The various leaders at the different federal and state health
institutions have not helped matters. Their developments agenda have not always have pharmacy as a
focal point of attention. The current and persistent but unnecessary leadership tussle in the health
sector has done much damage than good and we can only hope that good reason will prevail very soon.
The prejudice against pharmacists and non-medical healthcare professionals should stop and the focus
should be on the delivery of the best services possible to the patient. When are we going to have a
minister of health who will set a developmental target of getting new molecules to treat diseases to
come from Nigeria and set the necessary templates or create the enabling environment for this to
happen?? When are we going to have collaborative medication therapy management involving doctors
and pharmacists to the benefits of the patients in our hospitals? There are so many more questions
which I believe, one day, the appropriate leadership will emerge and provide answers to the satisfaction
of all.
For now, the future of pharmacy is in the hands of the pharmacists themselves. We must
continually uphold the tenets of our profession with a firm resolve to protect the interest of the patients
at all times. We must adhere strictly to the core values as enunciated by the pharmaceutical society of
Nigeria. We must remember that the system will appreciate you more for who you are and not for
whom you claim to be. It is therefore important for use to repeatedly ask ourselves what our
contributions are to the wellbeing of the system and the environment. The hospital management led by
the doctors may not allow you to enter the wards but they will not stop you from organizing educational
seminars for patients on drug therapy particularly for chronic diseases in your department. You will have
to live above your environment to have a chance to influence your world.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and the various technical groups have a role to play
in charting the future path for the profession. We need to get the young ones to appreciate the
challenges ahead early in their professional lives. They need to decide quite early the area of practice
where the want to specialize and this were mentoring is important for the desired future. The benefits
of professional community pharmacy practice must be expanded to the rural setting. We must devise a
way to take the emphasis away from self to the society we claim to serve. We must try and replicate
successes from one point to the other and spread the benefits of pharmacy across the country. We must
create, develop and sustain a distinct public identity and put a permanent stop ton the mentality of
comparing ourselves to any other person.
It is my hope that this future is not too far from us, a future where pharmacists will excel beyond
the current limitation and expand the horizon of practice, a future where dispensing will be separated
completely from prescribing, a future when Nigeria will become a manufacturing hub for
Pharmaceuticals in Africa and the world, a future when research and development activities will take
top priorities in our universities. We really have to be proud of whom we are as the past and recent
history has listed Pharmacists among the world most famous in politics, inventions and management.
The three most popular soft drinks in the world were invented or developed by Pharmacists: Dr. John
Pemberton (Coca-Cola), Charles Alderton (Dr. Pepper) and Caleb Bradham (Pepsi-Cola). Hubert
Humphrey, a Pharmacist was the Vice-President of the USA in the sixties. Back home, Prince Julius
Adelusi-Adeluyi at 47 years old cleared all the top prizes at law school in 1987 and has remained till
today, a mentor to vast number of people across the professions. If they could succeed despite the
hostility of their practice environment then, I am quite convinced that we can do better. Dr. Hiroshi
Nakajima, a Japanese Doctor and one time Director –General of WHO, was reported to have said that:
‘without drugs, a health care delivery system has no substance and no credibility’. This statement
remains ever green and confirms that the Pharmacist’s work as a custodian of drugs gives substance and
credibility to the nation’s healthcare delivery system. Here lies the future and hope that the land is
green for Pharmacy and Pharmacists.
To my graduating colleagues, I want to congratulate you for your success which is being
celebrated today. You have done so well for yourself and your family and I warmly welcome you to the
noble profession of Pharmacy. Make up your mind today that you will be a net giver of value to the
society and you will join hands with others to take Pharmacy practice to a higher pedestal.
Thank you and God bless you all.
Dr. Lolu Ojo BPharm, MBA, PharmD, FPCpharm, FPSN, FNApharm, DF-PEFON
5/01/16