As digital technology continues to revolutionise the pharma sector and others across the globe, pharmacists in Nigeria must join the train, in order to advance the country’s pharma industry, enhance actualisation of universal health coverage and make greater contributions to national development.
This was the submission of stakeholders at the 27th Annual National Conference of the Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP), held from 4 to 8 June, 2024, with the theme, “Role of Digital Technologies and Innovations in Achieving Universal Health Coverage: The Nigeria Industrial Pharmacy Perspective.”
Notables who spoke at the conference, held in Ibadan, Oyo State, examined the significance of digital technologies and innovations, x-raying their impact on global businesses and how they can help in achieving universal healthcare.
The stakeholders also examined how digital tools and technological advancements can revolutionise pharmacy practice, from the beginning of the pharma value chain to the end, thereby improving patients’ outcome.
In his remarks at the event, the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who was represented by the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, pointed out that the conference marked an important landmark in the collective journey towards advancing the pharmaceutical profession and ultimately improving healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
According to Makinde, “The theme underscores the importance of digital technologies and innovative practices in our industry. It also aligns with our shared commitment to ensuring that quality healthcare delivery is accessible to every Nigerian, irrespective of their location and socio-economic status.”
Also speaking at the event, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Prof. Cyril Usifoh, stated that a thorough understanding of the vision and mission of industrial pharmacists in Nigeria would underscore the importance of digital technology, stressing that pharma manufacturers in Nigeria will easily attain their desired heights through the application of digital technology.
“When I read the vision and mission of NAIP, I quickly realised the need for digital technology,” Usifoh averred. “I want to say it again that, as pharmacists, we must begin to let everyone know the importance of pharmacists to society. If pharmacists relegate themselves to the background, they will become the lunch that others feed on.”
Chairman of the occasion, Pharm. Asiwaju Theophilus Omotosho, noted that digital transformation happens every day in pharma practice, noting that the trend has moved away from the analogue process of producing drugs.
According to Omotosho, who is the chairman of Bond Chemical Industries Ltd, “The pharmaceutical industry is undergoing a profound digital transformation, driven by innovations. Technology is now shaping every aspect of pharma practice, from drug discovery, development and delivery to marketing and commercial practice.”
The chairman noted that, with new technologies – such as Artificial Intelligence, data analytics, cloud computing and block chain – pharmacists can harness the potentials of digital technologies to ensure effective healthcare delivery to Nigerians.
Omotosho also called on the Nigerian government to urgently create the enabling environment for the integration of technology into every aspect of the nation’s healthcare delivery for optimum patient outcomes.
The Chief Executive Officer of Business School Netherlands International, Nigeria, Prof. Lere Baale, affirmed that the world has been undergoing technological revolution with the application of digital technology, stressing that the value chain in the pharma industry cannot survive without joining the revolution.
Baale said, “At every stage of all the value chain in the pharma industry, we need to apply technology. Pharmacists need to have a good understanding of what has happened in the past and what is happening now, so that they will be able to predict what will happen in future.”
The National Chairman, NAIP, Pharm. Ken Onuegbu, in his address, stated that for the association to succeed in its aggressive push for access to essential medicines, government must offer the necessary support through provision of essential infrastructure and policies.
Onuegbu, who reiterated that Nigeria is currently importing about 80 per cent of its drug consumption, stated that there is need for a paradigm shift.
According to him, “We cannot achieve medicine security when we don’t have a single API manufacturing plant in the country. We can’t be talking about medicine security when 70 to 80 per cent of our drug consumption is imported. It is high time we stepped up our game towards digital technology.
“We can’t be talking about universal health coverage, when we are still applying the 1960 standard. In our factories, we need to start setting up good manufacturing practices that are of current standard.
“In the area of distribution, we need to begin to leverage technology and utilise it optimally for effective distribution. These are the ways to advance the health sector generally and attain universal health coverage.
“In an era where the digital economy is reshaping industries across the globe, the pharmaceutical sector cannot afford to lag behind. Digital technology has become an integral part of our lives and we must align with it.”
Earlier in his opening address, the Chairman, Conference Planning Committee, Pharm. Valentine Okelu, said the theme of the conference was very critical in Nigeria’s present socio-economic reality.
He said, “With the tempo of technological development today, there is a need to innovate and channel attention towards leveraging newer advances in key areas like robotics, Artificial Intelligence, among others, in delivering reasonable access to healthcare in a more universal and cost-effective manner.”
The keynote speaker, Prof. O. A Itiola, of the Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan, pointed out that various technologies can be adopted in the pharmaceutical sector to promote quality healthcare delivery.
He affirmed that application of digital technology in pharma practice enhances better decision-making, improves efficiency and productivity, encourages innovation and collaboration, makes communications and teamwork easier, and improves working conditions.
According to him, “First and foremost, we need investment in pharma manufacturing. As a pharma manufacturer, when you want to transform to digital technology, you may even need to stop some of your product lines and first train your staff. Initially, you need to be resilient but once you start going, you will reap the benefits and the benefits are many.”
Explaining further, Itiola said, “You will spend less time on your production, you make better decisions, because you have data. Technology will help you to do things in a better way. You can start small. You can start with as low as cloud, which is not as expensive as artificial intelligence and with time, you will get there. But if we don’t start now, as a country, other countries will leave us behind.
“As a company, if you don’t embrace technology now, competitors will overtake you. So, it is better that pharmacists and other healthcare providers embrace technology now, especially digital technology. In fact, you can innovate in your lab. You can also collaborate with others.”
