• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Pharmacists Council of Nigeria wants more consultants

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With the effective implementation of Pharmacist Consultant Cadre for improved healthcare delivery in Nigeria, the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) says consultancy competencies will boost proper counselling and dispensing of drugs to patients to improve health outcomes.

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The association at a sensitisation workshop for the implementation of Pharmacist Consultant Cadre in Nigeria organised by PCN in collaboration with West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacist (Nigeria Chapter), wants fellow members to think about churning out disruptive innovations capable of solving the country’s health problems as they integrate the services of consultant pharmacists with members of the healthcare professions in public health institutions in the country.

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“The various employers of labour both in the public and private sector, can now actually accept the fact that government has recognised these specialised skills and competencies that these fellows have, and therefore they are encouraged to tap into those skills in order to better the health care delivery of our country,” says Chijioke Onyia, chairman, West Africa Postgraduate College of Pharmacists, Nigeria Chapter.

According to Onyia, a consultant is somebody who knows higher than the average person in a particular aspect of pharmacy.

“At the moment, we have more than 1500 consultants that have already been trained,” he says.

“With the recognition by the federal government, Nigerians are going to see the unleashing, of the skills and competencies that these fellows have acquired over the years from the college, they are going to bring them to their various specialised field,” he adds.

Also speaking Elijah Mohammed, registrar, PCN notes that before now the practice of pharmacy in Nigeria and indeed Africa have been product-focused, but the new concept of pharmaceutical care is patient-focused.

However, he says the relevance of the pharmacy consultant cadre will help to eradicate a lot of anomalies that have been in the pharmacy school landscape.

“This will increase and ensuring public safety and improving health outcome that is why we are sensitising everyone so this implementation is well understood and appreciated for the betterment of the Nigeria healthcare system,” he explains.

Speaking further on the implementation, Ahmed Tijjani Mora, chairman governing council of PCN, says it is a milestone achievement in the history of pharmacy practice and establishment as per the skill of service in the country.

“We believe that we have to sensitise Nigerian pharmacists, and fellows, especially those who will be affected by this progression in their career.

“Pharmacy is a healthcare profession, and it is guided by certain code of conduct and ethics, with the patients, and also the healthcare system.

“There will be remuneration, and then it tends towards specialisation going towards patient care in the hospital, pharmaceutical care. With the consultant cadre more pharmacists will be motivated to want to become a fellow who will help to build their capacity,” Mohammed says.

Earlier in her keynote address presentation, Margaret Obono, FPCPharm, who spoke on attitude, opportunities and challenges for the Pharmacist consultant advises the fellows that it is their duties to take ethical responsibility and collaborate with other health care providers for optimum benefits for the outcome.

“Do not be discouraged by the challenges upon challenges to log in, continuously moving towards new horizons because of digitalization and utilisation in health. We need to come to terms with it, so there are a lot of opportunities for digitalisation in the health care system.

“You need to be updated yourselves on these health apps because the patient of tomorrow is a smart patient,” he says.