UNILAG’s VC urges varsities to integrate mental health literacy into pharmacy education

…as Faculty of Pharmacy holds eighth Abisogun-Afodu annual lecture

Folasade Ogunsola, the vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), has called on Nigerian universities to incorporate mental health literacy into pharmacy education, emphasising the growing need for pharmacists to address mental health challenges in their professional practice.

Ogunsola, represented by Ademola Oremusu, the provost of UNILAG’s College of Medicine, made the call on Thursday, November 13, at the eighth Ladipo Abisogun-Afodu annual lecture in Pharmacy held at the Idi-Araba annex of the institution.

“I urge academic institutions to integrate mental health literacy into pharmacy education, and professional bodies to provide continuous training on psychosocial care.

“Government agencies should include community pharmacies in mental health policy formulation, and pharmacies themselves should embrace their evolving roles, not just as caregivers, but as change makers,” she said.

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The vice-chancellor, who is celebrating her third year in office, said that in the context of community pharmacy, there is a unique intersection between clinical care and community engagement, science and empathy. Hence, pharmacists are not only the dispensers, as the profession was once called, but are responders in the emotional and psychological crises that often go unnoticed.

With Nigeria having over 60 percent of its youth, many of them have taken to psychoactive substances that affect mental health in order to cope with all the pressures going on in society; she emphasised that pharmacies are important to addressing the challenges.

Adewale Oladigbolu, senior vice president at Advantage Health Africa, and the guest lecturer, speaking on “Mental Health in a Disruptive Economy: The Impact of Community Pharmacists”, said that economic disruption amplifies mental health risks, which creates a greater need for accessible, frontline support systems.

“Economic instability is a significant determinant of mental health correlating with increased prevalence of stress, anxiety and depression.

“It’s one contributing factor among many, including biological, social and psychological elements,” he said.

Oladigbolu citing the World Health Organization 2022 report said there is a higher risk for the unemployed, low-income families and youth entering volatile job markets.

He said the mental health burden in the country is such that Nigeria has a huge burden of mental, neurological and substance use, while there are weak, old inadequate support system.

Oladigbolu emphasised that community pharmacists have a big role to play, such as bridging the gaps especially in underserved and rural communities.

“In a disruptive economy, mental health is fragile, but the community pharmacist can close the care gap and bridge the gap between vulnerability and resilience,” he said.

Laide Osundeko, chairman of the day in his remark, encouraged young pharmacists to see themselves as custodians of well-being in the communities they find themselves.

“I encourage all present, especially our younger colleagues, to see themselves not merely as dispensers of drugs but as custodians of well-being in our communities.

“The future of pharmacy depends on how well we uphold professionalism, mentorship, and continuous learning,” he emphasised.

Sunday Adesegun, the dean of faculty of Pharmacy described the theme for this year’s lecture as both timely and relevant, and reiterated the crucial roles of pharmacists in time like this.

“In this period of social and economic uncertainty, community pharmacies play a very crucial and important role in fostering mentorship,” he said.

Oluwole Familoni, chairman of the board of trustees to the Ladipo Abisogun-Afodu annual lecture in pharmacy, said the lecture series has become a shared strategy, a platform that celebrates excellence, encourages knowledge sharing, and supports professional growth in the pharmaceutical community.

Familoni explained that community pharmacists, who are the most accessible healthcare professionals, are often the first point of contact for those who are seeking help.

“A lot of people go to doctors in the rural places, and when that doesn’t happen, it is the pharmacists or the psychotherapists that are the first to go.

“So they are one of the best people in the community. Beyond dispensing medication, they provide guidance, empathy, and support to individuals who may be struggling silently. So their role in safeguarding mental well-being is more vital today than ever before,” he noted.

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Adesegun emphasised that the task before pharmacists in the face of the mental health crisis in a disruptive economy can be achieved through education, empathy, and access to health services.

Chidalu Benedicta, a student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, won the sixth research grant of N2.5 million for her doctorate degree programme.

Some of the dignitaries include Ogbeheochuko, Omaruaya, special guest; Emmanuel Anyika, chairman, annual lecture in pharmacy; and Taiwo Ipaye, office of advancement, among others.