For members of the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN) to remain relevant in the health care environment, it is imperative that they embark on roles expansion, innovation of new concepts and collaborative drug therapy management, among other initiatives, Pharm. (Mrs) Bisi Bright, has said.
Bright, who was the keynote speaker at the 2015 AHAPN Day, held at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on 12 August, 2015, stressed the need for AHAPN members to make their services in the hospitals more beneficial to patients.
Speaking on the topic, “The roles of hospital and administrative pharmacists in achieving optimal health outcome”, Bright, who is the CEO of Livewell Initiative (LWI), urged pharmacists to seek new ways of rendering services to patients, which would include recognising and harnessing the services of other health care team members.
The LWI boss listed areas in which pharmacists can specialise to include immunisation, wellness and public health, disease prevention and management, pharmacoganisms applications, anticoagulation management, medication safety surveillance, cost effectiveness and containment, formulary management and system, to mention the a few.
According to her, pharmacists need to “go into new things within the pharmacy world; they need to be more proactive in providing services and they need to fulfil their roles in medication therapy management (MTM). MTM involves wellness promotion, medication use, collaboration with other members of the health care team, also collaboration with patients to ensure adherence to medication.”
Using the share a Coke concept invented by the Coca-Cola Company to explain the wonders of innovation, she charged the audience to think outside the box in order to revamp their practices and adapt to modern methods as practised in advanced climes.
She equally reminded drivers of the health industry to ensure availability of conducive working environment for pharmacists. According to her, this, coupled with the formulation of incentive regulations and policy, as well as periodic motivations by the association, will go a long way in spurring pharmacists towards continuous improvement.
Pharm. Bright also proffered suggestions on the challenge of drug counterfeiting, noting that it is a global challenge with all the typical features of organised crime.
“I think within the area of regulation, pharmacists can assist at the point of care. You should ensure you do proper processing, source for ethical products and keep yourself safe and out of the ambience of substandard products. The primary role of a pharmacist is to ensure safe use of medicines and to monitor medicine supply chain from manufacturing, to supply, procurement, and in the whole process,” she said.
In his own contribution, Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr Paul Orhii, who was represented by Dr Monica Eimunjeze, director, registration and directorate, said the institution had introduced several concepts to curb the activities of counterfeiters.
Orhii, who spoke extensively on the role of NAFDAC in achieving optimal health outcomes, solicited the cooperation of all, for the agency’s efforts to be productive.
He expressed concern over online sales of drugs, describing it as a loophole for fakers, as 50 per cent of drugs sold on the internet are counterfeit.
He urged pharmacists to be on the lookout for drug counterfeiters and report them.
