…As PANS holds symposium to mark Annual Health Week
Key voices in pharmacy practice and academia have challenged pharmacy students at the University of Lagos to embrace innovation, adaptability, and professional growth, warning that failure to evolve with the times could render them irrelevant.
Speaking at a symposium organised by the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students (PANS), UNILAG Chapter, to mark its Annual Health Week, prominent stakeholders including Prof. Gloria Abiodun Ayoola, dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, UNILAG; Pharm. Mobolaji Ajayi, founder and CEO, Purelife Pharmacy and Purelife Health, and Pharm. Oluseye Timothy Agboola, CEO, Dortemag Ventures Limited, shared powerful insights on navigating the future of pharmacy in Nigeria.
In her opening remark at the symposium with the theme, “The Future of Pharmacy: Skills Needed by 2030: Navigating Remote Jobs, Automation and Staying Ahead”, which was held at the New Great Hall, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos, Prof. Ayoola, commended the leadership of the PANS, for choosing the theme, saying it is timely.
The University don described the theme as highly relevant to the dynamic realities of both pharmacy education and practice. “It reflects the futurism agenda of the University of Lagos under our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola,” she said.
According to her, the institution is not just training students for the present but equipping them to thrive long into the future. She emphasised that pharmacy, like many other professions, is undergoing rapid transformation driven by technology and digital innovation. “The landscape is changing very fast. It’s either you go with the flow or you get left behind — and I believe none of you wants to be left behind,” she added.
While applauding the choice of the theme, Dr Oluseye Timothy Agboola, who was the father of the day, urged the students to recognise the immense value of visibility, personal branding, and collaboration in today’s competitive healthcare landscape.
“I was once a student like you, though at a time when pharmacy schools had far fewer students than they do now,” he remarked. “The landscape has changed, and so has the scale. If you look at the Nigerian market today, it’s increasingly competitive, and the importance of standing out cannot be overstated.”
Pharm. Agboola emphasised that beyond academic excellence, students must develop a strong sense of identity and visibility. “Belonging and being visible are very key. Personal presence and approachability matter in pharmacy practice. These are qualities that will set you apart,” he added.
Delivering the keynote address, Pharm. Mobolaji Ajayi, founder and CEO of Purelife Pharmacy and Purelife Health, described the pharmacy students as “brilliant minds and future change makers,” commending the PANS UNILAG team for organising a symposium with a truly transformative theme.
Ajayi, who was represented by Pharm. Victor Chinedum, executive assistant at Purelife Health, stressed that by 2030, over half of global patient care would begin online, one in three prescriptions would be AI-assisted, and pharmacies would evolve from drug outlets to primary care hubs. “In this future, interprofessional collaboration where pharmacists, doctors, nurses, lab scientists, and public health professionals work side by side will become the standard, not the exception”.
She emphasised the urgent need for skills such as diagnostic literacy, digital fluency, and a grasp of supply chain economics. She encouraged students to embrace innovation, citing opportunities to intern with digital health startups, pursue certifications in digital analytics, and volunteer in health-focused NGOs as steps toward becoming globally relevant professionals.
“Pharmacists are not just dispensers of drugs, you are system designers, industry advocates, storytellers, and health influencers. The world is not merely waiting for you to join, it is waiting for you to lead.”
Earlier in the programme, Prudentus Uchenna Illo, president of PANS, UNILAG, noted that the theme for the symposium was chosen as a reminder to pharmacy students of the need to be in tune with the future and stay ahead in an evolving world.
The high point of the event was the launching and unveiling of the Recipharm Magazine, a yearly journal of the faculty, and the panel session, which had the likes of Dr Rametu Omamegbe Momodu, director at NAFDAC; Dr Mutiat Ibrahim, academic researcher; Pharm. Gift Chiamaka Nnanna of Swipha; Pharm. Adedoyin Samuel of FMC, Ebute Metta, and Dr Foluke Ayeni, sub-dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, UNILAG.
