– As CPAN Holds 2nd Int’l Conference in Lagos
For clinical pharmacy practice to attain the desired height of being the gateway to sustainable healthcare in Nigeria, clinical pharmacists in the country have the responsibility of acquiring relevant knowledge and skills to demonstrate their proficiency in bridging the gap between medical science and patient care, through the integration of evidence-based practices, medication management, and patient education.
This was the summary of the submissions of Prince Julius Adelusi- Adeluyi, president, Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAPharm); Dr Terresa Isichei Pounds, president of WASPEN, and Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, special adviser to Lagos State Governor on Health, at the second International Conference of the Clinical Pharmacists Association of Nigeria (CPAN), which held from 23 to 27 April, at the Neca House Event Centre, Alausa, Lagos.
Adelusi- Adeluyi, grand patron, CPAN and father of the day, at the opening ceremony of the conference, underscored the crucial roles of clinical pharmacists in the healthcare team, but argued that if they must command the required respect among other members of the healthcare team, then they must upgrade their knowledge and skills in the system to show the stuff they are made of.
Commending the efforts of CPAN in flying the flag of clinical pharmacy in the country, he said a lot still lies ahead of the leadership and members of the association, in ensuring that the practice is given the right recognition through the impacts of members on patients’ outcomes in the system, adding that the pharmaceutical strength of a country can only be measured by the level of development that physical pharmacy takes on in that country.
“You go back home, you look at your books, you improve your knowledge, and when you speak and literally help people, they know that the pharmacies are correct. And when you become useful and relevant in the hospital setting, then it is easy for you to earn respect. Nobody gives you respect. You must earn it. And to earn respect in the healthcare sector is for you to be very good in clinical pharmacy.
“But to be good in clinical pharmacy you need a few things. First as an individual you must be in possession of necessary knowledge. A pharmacist cannot afford to speak professionally by the rule of the thumb. Pharmacy has to be soft and professional. So you need that knowledge to be able to speak with authority on your subject. And if you can do that, you are respected. You also need to be skills driven. Theoretical knowledge is not enough.
“You must have skills to be able to apply in such a way that people who neglected you before suddenly they like you very much. It can be done, and it will be done, and it should be done. And the only way we can prove it is to show it. We must be leaders. We must be leaders pharmaceutically, know the way, show the way, and go the way”, he emphasised.
Dr Pounds, in her keynote speech on the theme of the conference: “Global trends in patient care: Clinical pharmacy as a gateway to sustainable development”, identified the challenges of the Nigerian health sector including hierarchal structure, underutilization of pharmacists for technical skills rather than clinical expertise, minimal collaborative practice, lack of shared information and limited opportunity for innovation, stating that pharmacists can bridge the gap in all these areas.
The seasoned international clinical pharmacist, averred that clinical pharmacists serve as catalysts for positive health outcomes and sustainable healthcare delivery models, as they play crucial roles in medication management, chronic disease management, medication safety and quality, patient education and empowerment, coordination of care and preventative care.
She highlighted the opportunities that abound for clinical pharmacists to drive sustainable healthcare system to include promotion of rational drug use, optimising medication regimens, ensuring medication adherence among patient, active engagement with patients and healthcare teams, enhanced efficiency and effectiveness of medication-related services, reduction of medication errors, and promotion of evidence-based practices.
Underscoring the importance of teamwork in healthcare, she stated that each discipline plays a vital role, and if any profession is missing, the big picture of the healthcare team will be disrupted.
Dr Ogunyemi, on her part reiterated the need for clinical pharmacists to improve their knowledge in patients care, saying they are indispensable in the healthcare team for positive patients outcome
She therefore charged them to embrace further training to bolster their specialty in clinical practice, which will empower and embolden them to prove their professionalism whenever the situation arises.
The opening ceremony of the conference, saw among other things the launch of the book on clinical practice authored by the National Chairman of CPAN, Dr Joseph Madu, which was officially unveiled by Prince Adelusi-Adeluyi, along with other dignitaries at the occasion.
