As part of activities to commence the 24th Annual National Scientific Conference of the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN) tagged “EKO 2023”, members of the association from different states of the federation, who have converged in Lagos on Monday, took to the streets of Mafoluku Oshodi, Lagos, for health awareness walk, to enlighten residents on the importance of consulting pharmacists for their medicines use.
They educated the people on the right way of taking medications, urging them to stop using soft drinks, alcohol and herbal concoctions with conventional medicines. The pharmacists also warned against the consequences of drug abuse and misuse, asking them to desist from it.
The AHAPN members echoed such words like “Consult your pharmacists for your medicine use; don’t take alcohol with medicines; don’t take four tablets of paracetamol, is not good for your health”, and so on.
AHAPN executives, also made a courtesy visit to the Osolo of Isolo, Oba Kabiru Kolawole Ilufemiloye Agbabiaka on Monday.
Appreciating the pharmacists for the visit, Oba Agbabiaka commended their professional efforts in the community, especially the health outreach conducted for residents of Mafoluku, Oshodi/ Isolo. He however stated that more of their care is needed in the society, while he gave them his royal blessings and assured the pharmacists of his physical presence at the opening ceremony on Tuesday.
National Chairman, AHAPN, Pharm. (Dr) Olabode Ogunjemiyo, thanked members for their active participation in the health awareness walk, saying it is part of their professional obligations to the society.
Speaking on the theme of the conference which is “Medicine Insecurity: A major threat to Public Health”, he said it was carefully chosen to reflect the reality of the times. He acknowledged the important rolesmedicines play in the detection, prevention and treatment of diseases among the populace, wondering how the world would look like without medicines.
“This conference seeks to look at the challenges with medicine security and proffer solutions to them”, he remarked.
With the opening ceremony on Tuesday, he said they will be hosting dignitaries from different part of the state.
The 24th AHAPN National Scientific Conference, holding at the Welcome Centre, Ikeja, Lagos, began on 21 August, 2023 and will come to an end on 25 August, 2023.