Speaking during the opening ceremony of the 21st National Annual Scientific Conference of AHAPN themed ‘Innovative Disruptions In Pharmacy Practice: A Road Map for Hospital & Administrative Pharmacy Practice in Nigeria’ held at the International Conference Centre, Sokoto, Sokoto State on Tuesday, they unanimously submitted that hospital pharmacists must innovate now to demonstrate their competence and relevance or get disrupted by current trends.

In his welcome address at the colorful opening ceremony chaired by Pharm. (Alh.) Al-Mustapha Othman Ali, permanent secretary, Sokoto State Ministry of Health, Dr Amibor said that there is an urgent need to reposition hospital practice in Nigeria, noting that this informed the theme of the conference chosen as a result of current disruptions in the healthcare sector in the country.

The AHAPN helmsman stated further that the group is committed to working towards adopting pharmaceutical care as a new philosophy of practice in Nigeria, disclosing that this informed its decision to set up the Pharmaceutical Care Implementation Committee, an international committee comprising members of AHAPN, a representative of ACON, PCN, and NAPPSA.

He revealed that the pharmaceutical care project is on course, noting that AHAPN is on the verge of analyzing the result of a national survey carried out among community, hospital and administrative pharmacists in Nigeria on the desirability and modalities for practicing pharmaceutical care in Nigeria.

Prof. Wannang in his presentation at the opening ceremony stated that Pharmacy practice has shifted from that of drug provider to patient-centered practice, stressing that hospital pharmacists should leave dispensing completely to pharmacy technicians and begin to create a niche for themselves in the wards by having direct contacts with the patients.

The distinguished keynote speaker argued that the health system is dynamic like every other system, stating that Nigeria doesn’t need magicians nor a perfect environment because the nation will never get such. What the nation needs, he said, are professionals that will do the right things to help the citizens and professionals that have the courage to act because they realize they are becoming irrelevant.

Prof. Wannnag urged hospital pharmacist to let their training be their roadmap, noting that Nigeria is in shortage of the expertise of Pharmacy. This, he said reflects in our WHO ranking and the nation’s high mortality rate. Hospital pharmacists, he stressed, must embrace innovative disruption to tackle the old and emerging challenges of their practice or get permanently disrupted.

In his remarks at the opening ceremony, Mazi Ohuabunwa stated that the Pharmacy profession is under siege by many forces seeking to disrupt both the profession and its various forms of practice, adding that there are forces within the healthcare team, medicine traders in the community and others from the underground.

The PSN helmsman stressed that the AHAPN hold the significant ace in evolving policies, laws and regulations that will help the profession to adopt proactive and innovative disruption for Pharmacy practice.

He stated that Pharmacy needs a customer-centric or patient/and patient-focused pharmaceutical care concept, noting that Pharmacy must continue to innovate and disrupt the status quo.

Amongst the dignitaries at the opening ceremony were Dr Muhammad Ali In name, commissioner for health, Sokoto State who represented Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto State; Pharm. (Mrs) Uche Ezeh, chairperson, AHAPN, Sokoto State; Pharm. Munir Elelu, deputy president, PSN; Prof. Wilson Erhun, dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University; Pharm. Dan Orumwense, a fellow of the PSN and Pharm. Mustapha Bello, Chairman, Conference Planning Committee (CPC).

Source: Pharmanews Online