Martins Ifijeh
The Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria, AHAPN, has reaffirmed its commitment to the provision of quality pharmaceutical services in Nigeria hospitals for the sake of patients.
This is part of the resolutions contained in the association’s communiqué, issued at the end of its 21st Annual National Scientific Conference held in Sokoto recently, tagged, “Innovative Disruptions in Pharmacy Practice: A Road Map Hospital for Administrative Pharmacy Practice in Nigeria.”
According to the communiqué, “the conference reiterated that specialisation in pharmacy practice remains the modern concept, and a model of practice that would guarantee hospital pharmacists become centre of excellent in pharmaceutical care.
“Conference identified mentoring as an innovatively disruptive tool in hospital and administrative pharmaceutical practice and submitted that it remained a basic requirement for engineering capacity building and also strengthening the practice skills of pharmacists.
“Conference further resolved that achievement and sustenance of excellence in practice shall be predicated on a concept of teamwork among pharmacists on one hand and between pharmacists and other members of the healthcare team, on the other hand.”
The keynote speaker at the conference, Professor Noel Wannang, emphasized that, for secured future for pharmacy profession, practitioners must embrace knowledge, specialisation and capacity building.
Wannang, who is also the Secretary General of the West African Post Graduate College of Pharmacists, WAPCP, said, other professions have embraced innovations and advancement through research and development and the pharmacist’s profession cannot afford to be left behind
He said team work and mentorship among pharmacists will ensure progression and advancement in the profession, thereby he called on senior colleagues to help their younger professionals grow on the job.
AHAPN National Chairman, Dr Kingsley Amibor, who reeled out the achievements recorded in the last one year, said the association was on the verge of analysing the results of a national survey carried out among community pharmacists and hospital and administrative pharmacists in Nigeria on the desirability and modalities for practicing pharmaceutical care in Nigeria.
“Our Committee on Drug Use Enlightenment has been making waves nationally, championing rational use of drugs and embarking on Drug Abuse campaigns all over the country.
“Cases in point include the successful drug abuse campaigns held here in Sokoto and the very successful celebrations to mark the last World Malaria Day in Lagos and other parts of the country.
“Our Drug Information and Pharmacovigilance Committee has also come up with modalities on how hospital-based pharmacists can carry out effective drug information and pharmacovigilance services (including techniques for making patient-based interventions) aimed at repositioning our practice.”
