Regardless of the double-digit inflation rate that impacted the nation’s economy negatively in the year 2017, the management of May & Baker Nigeria Plc was able to sustain a high growth in both pre and post-tax profits, as it recently announced a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of N605.6 million.
The consolidated audited statement of the healthcare group for the year ended 31 December 2017, showed that the profit rose by 75 percent above the previous year’s figure of N346 million. However, the profit after tax for the current year stood at N371 million. This leapt from N41 million after tax loss in 2016 – a year of seething recession.
Following this impressive growth in its performance for 2017, the Board has okayed a 233.3 percent increase in cash dividends (N196 million) to shareholders of May & Baker.
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, May & Baker Nigeria Plc., Mr Nnamdi Okafor with Chairman, Gen. T.Y. Danjuma (rtd) 2nd right – flanked by Non-Executive Directors, Eng. Ishaya Dankaro and Mr Adebayo Adetunji Adeleke and after the Company’s Board meeting in Lagos recently.
The press statement from the organisation revealed that the revenue grew by 10 per cent from N8.5 billion in 2016, to N9.4 billion current year. However, cost of sales grew marginally by 2 percent from N5.9 billion prior year to N6.1 billion in the year under review due to increases in materials’ costs, and high power cost. The company resolutely waded through market variances to generate a 29 percent growth in gross profit from N2.5 billion in the previous year to N3.3 billion in the current year.
Speaking on the company’s outlook for the new business year, the Managing Director, May & Baker Nigeria Plc, Mr. Nnamdi Okafor, holds the projection that both the global and the local economy will grow in 2018 and May & baker will connect with this growth. He stated that, “The Company will remain focused on its long-term goal of strengthening existing investments and expand new business areas so as to continue to create new opportunities that will grow value and long term returns to all our stakeholders.”
He added that, “May & Baker has a great pedigree and is poised to play beyond the boundaries of Nigeria and break into Sub-Saharan Africa. To drive this, we will continue to acquire necessary competences, engage pertinent partnerships and then keep leveraging our installed capacity at the pharmaceutical facility in Ota to the fullest so as to improve on our numbers year-on-year”.
The document expatiated on the 2017 operating expenses of the company, noting it swelled by 26.5 per cent, posting N1.4 billion against the previous year’s cost of N1.1 billion while Finance cost increased by 22 per cent from N519million last year to N635million present year. This was largely driven by the cash backing requirement for LCs and import financing.
Having operated in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry for about 74 years, May & Baker has remained a viable attraction for investment especially as the company’s operational efficiency continues to increase year-on-year. This is manifested in the financial outlook of the company’s 5-year comparative results of pre- tax profits.
In 2013, the group posted a PBT of N11million loss and then bounced back to record a phenomenal N101.17 million profit, the following year. Despite the 2015 “political headwinds”, the company grew its PBT to N142.40 million and then withstood the 2016 scorching recession to announce N345.94 million as PBT. The 2017 profit before tax stands at N605.62 million.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says irrespective of current health crisis still bedeviling some nations, it has recorded great success in eradicating diseases and improving life expectancy globally during its 70 years of existence.
In a statement to celebrate seven decades of the existence of WHO, the organisation said one of its health gains was reducing death rate among children under five years by 6 million between 1990 and 2016.
World Health Organisation at 70, Lists Achievements, Challenges
It said that since the organisation’s establishment, life expectancy globally had increased by 25 years with smallpox defeated and polio on the verge of eradication.
The organisation said many countries had successfully eliminated measles, malaria and debilitating tropical diseases like guinea worm and elephantiasis as well as mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.
WHO said that with its recommendations and efforts, the plight of more than 300 million people suffering from chronic hepatitis B and C infections had gained global attention.
According to the World Health Organisation, WHO, “our efforts have helped 21 million people get life-saving treatment for HIV and our innovative partnerships has produced effective vaccines against meningitis, Ebola and the world’s first ever malaria vaccine.
“In the coming weeks, WHO will publish the world’s first Essential Diagnostics List.
This document is a guide for countries on the key medicines that a national health system needs.
“In the early years, there was a strong focus on fighting infectious killers like smallpox, polio and diphtheria.
“But in the recent decades, the world has seen a rise in non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
“These diseases now account for 70 per cent of all deaths; WHO is therefore shifting focus along with other health authorities around the world to promote healthy eating, physical exercise and regular health checks.”
The organisation said in spite all these achievements, it continued to remain on constant alert to all health crises globally and it was committed to prevent outbreaks from turning into epidemics.
WHO said the organisation had run global health campaigns on the prevention of diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and was working towards reducing disease and death caused by tobacco.
It said that the organisation was also currently responding to outbreaks and humanitarian crises in more than 40 countries worldwide.
“Every year, WHO studies influenza trends, to work out what should go into the next season’s vaccine.
The World Health Organisation remains on constant alert against the threat of pandemic influenza.’’
According to WHO, 100 years after the flu pandemic of 1918, it is determined that the world should never again be subjected to such a threat to global health security.
It said at the World Health Assembly scheduled for May, the organisation will propose a bold new agenda that would build on lessons learnt and experience gained over the past 70 years.
“It will focus on achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for one billion more people; protecting one billion more people from health emergencies.
“It will also enabling one billion more people to enjoy better health and wellbeing by 2023, the halfway point to the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda deadline.”
The establishment of World Health Organisation, WHO was approved by the UN Conference in San Francisco, USA in 1945 and the organisation began its operations in 1948.
WHO will mark its 70th anniversary on April 7, a day set aside yearly to commemorate the “World Health Day”.
The theme for the 2018 World Health Day is “Universal Health Coverage: Everyone, Everywhere”.
No fewer than 23 Health Management Organisations, (HMOs) have been sacked from Nigeria’s Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS.
The decision was reached after a validity test carried out on all 57 HMOS operating under the scheme.
According to the newly inaugurated governing council of the scheme, the Health Management Organisations, HMOs were delisted because they failed to meet up with the minimum operational standard expected of them.
“Only one out of the 57 HMOs actually scored 100 per cent and is therefore granted accreditation to operate,” Enyanatu Ifenne, chairperson of the board said at a press briefing Thursday in Abuja.
NHIS Logo
The Executive Secretary of the scheme, Usman Yusuf, alongside members of the board were present at the briefing.
Ms Ifenne noted that 34 HMOs were granted provisional accreditation until they are able to fulfill all the conditions for the reaccreditation process, while 23 were denied reaccreditation as they failed to meet the minimum standard.
She said all HMOs operating in the scheme are expected to renew their accreditation every two years, while some of them had their accreditation last since 2013.
The board chairperson explained that Decree 35 of the scheme gives the council the power to re-accredit Health Management Organisations, HMOs and lays out clearly the condition and processes through the operations and guideline that were drawn down by the Act.
Decrying the low coverage of the scheme since inception, Ms Ifenne, a padaetrician stated that the scheme has mapped out plans on how to expand enrollee coverage by 10 per cent annually.
“We have a plan go expand coverage of the scheme at least by 10 per cent every year. We can do better but that’s the modest goal.
“We can achieve that by providing support to states to enable their own law and establish their own front. We have a lot (of) social capital in the non-formal sector that we have to activate. We are targeting universities, NYSC members, less-privileged, pregnant women and children. We are worried that countries like Ghana and Rwanda are doing much better.
“The fact that health facilities are reluctant to accept NHIS enrollees is an indictment on NHIS as public entity because what we see with this reaccreditation is accumulation of regulatory failure. Accreditation should not be the only time we know that the company is bankrupt or nonexistent or sold to (a) South African entity. If we were up and doing and on our toes in applying the regulatory powers giving us under the law, this should not happen.”
She said the current value chain the scheme operates ”which puts the NHIS at the top, the HMOs, the healthcare providers at the centre and the enrollee at the bottom is wrong.”
“Elephants have been fighting, the grass gets hurt. The grass here is the people we call enrollee. I hate that word. Enrollee just makes it look as if they were conscripted. They have no choice but to take poor service whether they like it or not or opt out.”
She also said the board has made plans to change the current trend and put the enrollees at the top of the ladder; noting that the satisfaction of the enrollee is key to the operation of the board.
“With this shift, the healthcare providers will be held to account not only for the quality care but also for the humanity because from the information we have, most people in the scheme are treated as second rate patients. So we all, NHIS, Health Management Organisations, HMOs and healthcare providers have to work so that the enrollees is at the tip of the value chain.
“We are going to redefine the processes and focus of NHIS to stand up to its regulatory function. The failure to meet our regulatory function is the reason why this plague has being spread.”
Also speaking, a representative of the Health Management Organisations, HMOs, Lekan Onaikan, said the HMOs are willing to comply with all regulatory guidelines mapped out by NHIS.
“As far as we are concerned, this industry is meant to be strongly regulated and if a regulator regulates well, whoever that doesn’t want to comply with regulation should step aside,” he said.
A cholera outbreak in Gashua, Yobe State has claimed 13 lives out of 160 cases reported in the last six days, a source at the Gashua General Hospital revealed.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a source from the Gashua General Hospital told NAN that five deaths were first recorded while eight lives were later lost to the disease.
The source said that the victims were brought in from Sabon Gari, Katuzu, Zango, Lawan Musa and Sarkin Hausawa, which were among the areas worst affected by the outbreak.
Children playing in dirty swampy water
Meanwhile, the state government has despatched a Rapid Response Team to contain the outbreak and spread of the disease.
Mohammed Bukar, the General Manager, Yobe Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), confirmed that the response team has embarked on chlorinating water reservoirs and disinfecting toilet facilities in the area.
He said aqua tablets were also distributed to households while promotion of personal hygiene had been intensified to curtail spread of the disease.
Mr Bukar attributed the outbreak to poor hygiene, adding “we collected water samples from various sources, and using the bacteriological test kit, we discovered some private boreholes with contaminated water.”
He said shallow boreholes managed by private individuals are prone to contamination.
“There is the need to pass the water law in good time to check the excesses of some private boreholes who abuse due process and put the lives of the people at risk,” the general manager said.
According to Mr Bukar, water samples from five boreholes in Gashua which tested positive have been shut down while more samples have been taken for advance laboratory analysis.
He said communities in neighbouring Karasuwa and Yusufari Local Government Areas have been disinfected and provided with aqua tablets to check possible spread.
Similarly, the Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan, has provided fluids and drugs to the Gashua general hospital for treatment of victims at the hospital.
Habu Kaku, aide to the leader of the Senate, told NAN that the donation of the drugs and fluids was to complement government efforts in the treatment of the victims.
“This is a first phase intervention to arrest the unexpected outbreak and to compliment the efforts of the state government in curtailing the menace,” Mr Kaku said.
Sequel to their tour of three northern states tertiary hospitals, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN) has urged the management of Usmanu Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital, UDUTH, Sokoto; Federal Medical Centre, Gusau; and the Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi, to upgrade their facilities and practices to enhance efficient service delivery to their populace.
The AHAPN NEC, which held its council meeting at the Sultan Mohammadu Maccido Institute of Quranic and General Studies Auditorium, Sokoto recently, seized the opportunity to make courtesy visits to some dignitaries in the area, as well as inspected the conditions of some tertiary hospitals in the northern part of the country.
The National Chairman of AHAPN, Pharm. Martins Oyewole identified some inadequacies in the operations at the Usmanu Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital UDUTH, Sokoto, which ranges from shortage of pharmacists, absence of a purpose built pharmacy department, and limited alternative care centres in the state.
Although he earlier commended the Medical Director of the hospital for the quality healthcare services rendered by the teaching hospital to the teeming population of Sokoto and environs, he however lamented the shortcomings of the institution in meeting the World Health Organization (WHO) and Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) standards, expected of a leading teaching hospital like UDUTH.
AHAPN NEC members in a group photograph with Honourable Commissioner for Health, Sokoto State, Dr Shehu Kakele (Third from left 1st Row)
He further acknowledged that there are not many alternatives for tertiary care in Sokoto axis; hence the need for adequate staffing that would make way for effective and efficient service delivery.
Oyewole also decried the absence of a purpose built pharmacy department in the hospital, as it is practiced in other teaching hospitals, and advocated for restructuring of the pharmacy department, in line with Pharmacists Council of Nigeria requirement for a 1000 bedded hospital. He added that individualized patient care has become the order of the day in patient care all over the world, hence restructuring has become inevitable.
Speaking further, the AHAPN National Chairman informed the management team of UDUTH about the feat achieved by the National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, in setting up a viable Drug Revolving Fund (DRF), which is a sine qua non for continuous drug availability in hospitals.He thus encouraged the institution to borrow a leaf from Igbobi in setting up their own version of Drug Revolving Fund (DRF).
He also urged the management to upgrade the production unit of the hospital, so that drugs like antacids, methylated spirit, sodium hypochlorite and other similar products, can be produced regularly.This will ensure continuous availability of these products, while saving costs for the hospital.
In her response, the Acting Medical Director, UDUTH, represented by Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) Dr (Mrs) Constance O. Shehu, agreed that there are a lot of challenges facing the hospital, adding that she was at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) Maiduguri recently, where she saw the Pharmacy Department out lay. She said the management of the hospital was open to constructive criticism, and encouraged the association to keep coming to Sokoto State to hold their activities.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Sokoto, Pharm. Almustapha Othman Ali; displaying AHAPN NEC Award presented to him (Middle); as National Chairman, AHAPN, Pharm. Martins Oyewole (Left) and Hon. Commissioner for Health, Sokoto, Dr Shehu Kakele (Right) Look on
She challenged pharmacists and other healthcare providers to render more functional healthcare delivery to patients, because tomorrow, we (healthcare providers) may be at the receiving end as patients. She also urged pharmacists to put patients at the centre always, adding that” you don’t fight ignorance, you eradicate it”.
During the AHAPN NEC visit to Zamfara State, where they were received by the management of the Federal Medical Centre, (FMC) Gusau, the Medical Director of the centre Dr Kabiru Mohammed Anka, expressed his delight at the visit, acknowledging that this was the first of such visit since the creation of the state.
Oyewole thanked the medical director for the warm reception, and challenged the management to employ additional pharmacists in the state, so that the populace can benefit from the dividends of pharmaceutical care, which has become the order of the day in pharmacy practice worldwide.
He also informed the management of the hospital that Sokoto State will be hosting the National Conference of the Association come 2019, and urged Zamfara to team up with Kebbi and Sokoto states to ensure adequate representation at the conference.
During the NEC members round of the hospital conducted by the Head of Pharmacy Department, Pharm. (Mrs) Battle Hauwa, they observed that the Director of Pharmaceutical Services (DPS) Zamfara, Pharm. Isah Mohammed Gusau was the only pharmacist at the Ministry of Health, a situation Pharm. Oyewole decried as unacceptable. He challenged the DPS to give the needed leadership to Sokoto and Zamfara States.
The National Executive Committee also visited Kebbi State, and in particular, the Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi, in company of the AHAPN executives, Sokoto State Branch and Chairman of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Sokoto State, Pharm. Murtala Bello, who accompanied the NEC delegation all the way from Sokoto to Kebbi State.
One after the other, the members highlighted their challenges to NEC, including the issue of inadequate staffing. The National Chairman however took time to assuage the members, promising that NEC will look into the issues raised.
Led by the Director of Pharmaceutical Services of Kebbi State, Pharm. Ibrahim Maigandi, NEC members met with the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Kebbi State, Alhaji Umar Usman Kambaza, who welcomed the pharmacists warmly to the state. He noted that the visit was first of its kind by a high ranking pharmacy delegation from outside the state. The commissioner intimated them on the role of the state government in encouraging pharmacy practice in the state, which included going as far as paying salaries to pharmacy students of the state origin in the fourth year and beyond.
In his response, the National Chairman of AHAPN, Pharm. Martins Oyewole commended Alhaji Kambaza for their efforts at promoting pharmacy practice in the state, and challenged the state to employ additional pharmacists to man the various general hospitals in the state. He informed the commissioner that Sokoto State will be hosting AHAPN National Conference in 2019, and encouraged Kebbi and Zamfara states to team up with Sokoto State to ensure a successful conference.
The National Executive Committee led by DPS Sokoto State, Pharm Mohammed Hamisu, also visited the Commissioner for Health, Sokoto State, Dr Shehu Balarabe Kakele, who received the visitors warmly to Sokoto State. He noted also that this was the first of such visit by a high powered pharmacy delegation to Sokoto State, which he said was investors friendly.
…Presents a congratulatory plaque on his 90th birthday
As a way of advancing their mutual relationship of many years, and also to celebrate the Therapeutic Laboratories Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Joginder Singh Lalvani at 90, Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director, Pharmanews Limited, recently led a delegation of the company’s management team to pay a courtesy visit to the nonagenarian and the Therapeutic Laboratories Nigeria Limited team.
The courtesy visit, which took place at the Therapeutic Laboratories Nigeria Limited head office, Maryland, Lagos, had in attendance, Mr Joel Omikunle, business manager, Pharmanews Limited; Mr Yusuff Moshood, editor; Mr Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis, senior correspondent, and Mr Adebayo Oladejo, a senior reporter in attendance.
L-R : Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director, Pharmanews Limited, presenting a congratulatory plaque, to the Therapeutic Laboratories Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Joginder Singh Lalvani and son, Mr Rajan Lalvani, executive director, Therapeutic Laboratories Nigeria Limited, during the courtesy vist.
Explaining the reason for the visit, Sir Atueyi said it was to show appreciation for the continued support of Therapeutic Laboratories over the years, especially in the aspect of advert placements in the Pharmanews Journal for close to 30 years. He also noted that it was to felicitate with the Therapeutic boss on his 90th birthday, while he prayed that God grants him strength and grace to celebrate more years in life.
Atueyi, who described the visit as a very significant one, being his second time to the company, said the first visit was several years ago. He said he was also there to learn from the nonagenarian, the secret of attaining such an old age.
In his response, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Therapeutic Laboratories Nigeria Limited, Baba Joginder Lalvani, as he is fondly called, expressed his delight for the second visit of the Pharmanews boss and his team to the company.
R-L: Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director, Pharmanews Limited: Mr Joel Omikunle, business development manager, Pharmanews Limited; and Mr Yusuff Moshood, editor.
Reminiscing on his entrance into Nigeria about 40 years ago, the Indian industrialist narrated how his first experience of a major military coup in the country that toppled the government of Gen. Yakubu Gowon and brought in late Gen. Murtala Muhammed, never gave him a hope of staying so long in Nigeria. He was however surprised about how he was able to subdue his fears, and still living in the country till date, after four decades.
He therefore advised the Federal Government to encourage local pharmaceutical manufacturers in the country, through favourable policies that would promote their businesses and sustain them in the sector.
Other top officials of Therapeutic Laboratories Nigeria Limited at the event were: Mr Rajan Lalvani, executive director; Mrs Rhoda Oladipo, marketing manager, OTC; and Pharm. Felicia Oladimeji, superintendent pharmacist and head of the factory.
The Association of Lady Pharmacists (ALPs) Lagos State branch, has called on the Federal Government to establish legislation against drug abuse and misuse in the country, as this constitutes a menace in the society and a threat to national security.
ALPs made the call during their annual school outreach to the Osborne Schools Complex, Ikoyi, where they enlightened the secondary school students on the dangers of drug abuse and misuse to their health.
Speaking with Pharmanews in an exclusive chat during the programme, the Chairman, Planning Committee, Pharm. (Mrs) Folashade Kolapo decried the degree of moral decadence in our society, where youths have taken to drug abuse and misuse without legal deterrents or punitive measures exercised against them.
A cross-section of Lagos ALPs members, presenting the gift items to the schools representative at the event.
Her words:” I think legislation has to be put in place and should be enforced, because it appears we don’t have rules preventing people from selling drugs illegally. More so, our youths are seen on the streets smoking cocaine and other substances, without checks. Thus, governments at all levels must ensure that legislation is put in place to prohibit all these nefarious acts, and to safeguard the health of our youths”.
Kolapo who further condemned the misuse of cough syrups with Phenergan, said it’s high time such practices are curtailed in our society.”In fact, even common Coughlin, and other cough syrups that have Phenergan are being misused by our youths to make themselves high, as stimulants to read, and even to drug girls in order to rape them. I think the government has a big role to play in curbing these evil acts, and parents as well.
L-R: Pharm.(Mrs) Modupe Alli, chairma, Lagos State ALPs, Pharm.(Mrs ) Arilesere; Pharm. (Mrs) Bolanle Adeniran, chairmam, Lagos PSN; and Pharm, Nsese Mfom Ufot, vice chairman, Lagos ALPs, at the event.
On the essence of their campaign, she said drug abuse has several negative effects on individuals, families and the society at large, saying that was why they were out to create awareness on the social-economic consequences of drug abuse and misuse.
“Of a truth, parents have a lot to do in this regard. When children are well brought up, and parents are free from illicit drugs use, then students will be better behaved and they will not likely join peers in the act of drug abuse”, she quipped.
The Vice Chairperson of the association, Pharm. Nsese Mfon Ufot , explained the rationale behind the choice of the centre of the campaign, saying it is better to catch them young before the innocent minds are polluted by the bad eggs in the society. “We have chosen secondary school because we don’t want the students to experience it at all. With the level of presentation we had today, it’s obvious the students have heard enough on how to say no to drug abuse and misuse”.
Although some schools might have been infiltrated with these unscrupulous elements, she however expressed the determination of the association to spread the gospel against drug abuse and misuse to as many secondary schools as possible to reach. “We are sure our enlightenment will go a long way in discouraging them from going into the evil act”.
The Chairman, Association of Lady Pharmacists (ALPs) Lagos State, Pharm.(Mrs) Modupe Alli further explained the mission of the group, saying ALPs, as an interest group of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has designed her programmes to reach out to students, because they are the future of the nation, and a nation without sound and vibrant youths has no sound future.
She also mentioned that their programmes cover the less privileged in the society. The Lagos ALPs activities focus on: “Professional advocacy, social and developmental campaigns, charity and philanthropy, then environment and personal health”.
The outreach, which was well attended by members of the association, featured several seminars presented by lady pharmacists. The seminar topics are:”Health/ Hygiene, by Pharm. Dorcas Omiere; Moral Instructions, by Pharm. Folashade Lawal; Drug Abuse/Misuse, by Pharm. Hafsoh Agbabiaka; Life Experience with Drugs, Mr Rilwan O. Oshodi; Hepatitis, by Pharm. Doris Ayika; and Child/Sexual Abuse, by Pharm. Seliatu Ohimor.
The high point of the event was the presentation of sanitation items- waste bins and brooms to all the ten schools in the complex. Receiving the gifts on behalf of the schools, Mrs O.B. Badejo, principal of Akande Dahunsi Senior Secondary School, appreciated the Association of Lady pharmacists for their kind gesture, wishing them well in their professional journey in life.
For the use of narcotics to be reduced to the barest minimum in the country, then all stakeholders must play active roles in ensuring compliance with regulations on the importation of such drugs, as well as urgently reporting the sales and use of such drugs to the appropriate quarters, whenever such is found, Chairman, NAFDAC Governing Council, Alhaji Wuwa Abdulkadir has said.
The NAFDAC Chairman, who was not by any means shifting the responsibilities of the agency to the citizens, stated that in a country of about 200 million population, NAFDAC officials cannot be everywhere at the same time, which calls for the people to be vigilant and ready to report any nefarious activities around them to the nearest NAFDAC office to them.
L-R: Chairman, NAFDAC Governing Council, Alhaji Wuwa Abdulkadir; NAFDAC Director General, Professor Mojisola C.Adeyeye, and Alhaji Tukur Fada Tambuwal, member of the council, at the event.
Alhaji Abdulkadir who was meeting the agency’s national directors for the first time, at the NAFDAC Main Laboratory Complex, Oshodi, since the inauguration of the council, said although this is not the best of time, as there is so much drug abuse and misuse in the country, however pledged the commitment of the council, to work hand in hand with the management of NAFDAC, to rid the nation of illegal drug use.
He also emphasised the essence of having well motivated staff members, which he described as key in fighting drug abuse to a standstill in the country.
“Our vision is to improve our staff welfare package, because whatever is our mandate, there is no means of achieving it, without motivated staff. In fact, the agency stands at a risk if our staff could be easily manipulated by unscrupulous persons for gain of reward, to the detriment of the agency”.
On the control of drug abuse and misuse in the country, the NAFDAC chairman noted with dismay that there are a number of drugs in Nigeria which are very dangerous to the socio-economic wellbeing of the citizens.
Citing the misuse of tramadol for instance, he said it is imported to sustain criminal activities in the society.
According to him: “The misuse of tramadol is really destroying our youths and endangering the security of the nation, as it is a major boost to criminal activities. Thus, the more tramadol in circulation, the more insurgency on the rise”.
L-R: Chairman, NAFDAC Governing Council, Alhaji Wuwa Abdulkadir; NAFDAC Director General, Professor Mojisola C.Adeyeye; Alhaji Tukur Fada Tambuwal, member of the council, andDirector, Registration and Regulation Affairs, NAFDAC, Dr Monical Eimunjeze, at the event.
He said this negative development calls for the concern of all citizens, much more now that political campaigns are at the corner, when political thugs will be in desperate search of stimulants to cause mayhem in the society.
Meanwhile, Alhaji Abdulkadir commended the efforts of the agency’s enforcement officers, who risk their lives on a daily basis in curtailing the activities of drug peddlers in the county, noting that the council will not relent its efforts, until a good number of these evil men are brought to book.
The chairman who expressed his satisfaction, with the pace of work at the institution, however said that a lot needs to be done in upgrading capacity, in order to cater for the teaming population of Nigeria. He also observed the dedication of the staff, even in the face of seemingly shortage of hands; they are still meeting their deadlines on assignments given to them.
The Director General, NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye expressed our deep delight with the appointment of the chairman and members of the council, after the agency has suffered several setbacks, due to the absent of a governing council and a substantive DG.
She identified adequate funding as key factor for effective enforcement of the agency’s regulation in the country. “Several vehicles are needed for combing of nooks and crannies of the nation, as well as for the inspection of companies and facilities”.
On her assumption of office, she said the state of facilities in the agency was comatose, which spurred her into action immediately, as she has been able to improve the situation, within few months.
With the agency’s 9 April 2018, deadline for the clearance of 6,000 backlog applications due for approval, she assured Nigerians of better and faster ways of getting their products registered without much delay.
Alta Semper a private equity manager, investing flexible and strategic capital across selected African growth markets, has announced its partnership with Nigeria’s leading retail pharmacy chain HealthPlus. Under the terms of the agreement, Alta Semper is investing US$18 million into HealthPlus, which will enable the company to expand its retail footprint and enhance its competitive position. Alta Semper specifically invests into market-leading businesses in defensive sub-sectors within the consumer and healthcare verticals.
Alta Semper Capital LLP and HealthPlus Limited Nigeria Logos
Announcing the partnership through a press statement jointly signed by the two companies, it noted that the healthcare and retail markets in Nigeria are characterised by growing demand, driven by favourable demographics, increased consumer awareness and evolving consumption patterns. Furthermore, Nigeria is home to one of the least penetrated formal retail markets in the world, despite its large and growing population. The retail pharmacy sector is highly fragmented, with many independent drug stores and several patent medicine outlets.
The statement further described the Nigerian pharmaceutical industry, though full of many opportunities, but its besieged with several challenges, a situation which prompted the investment company to invest in the industry.
“Given structural challenges with the industry supply chain, counterfeit pharmaceuticals find their way into over forty percent of the retail market, while most wholesale and retail sales across the country are still made through informal markets. Moreover, much of the healthcare infrastructure is confined to major cities, with people living in urban areas having approximately four times as much access to healthcare as those living in rural areas.
“The investment into HealthPlus will enable the company to capture the pent-up demand for high-quality yet affordable healthcare and professional beauty supplies by developing regional distribution centres in commercial hubs across Nigeria, rapidly expanding the Company’s footprint across Nigeria as well as developing a wholesale channel and investing in private label and e-commerce”.
This transaction marks Alta Semper’s first investment in Nigeria.
Commenting on the investment, Bukky George, Founder & CEO of HealthPlus said
“We believe Alta Semper is the right partner for our next stage of growth. Alta Semper’s focus on the healthcare sector, as well as its ability to invest patient and flexible capital, will allow us to grow strategically across Nigeria and further our mission to provide high quality and affordable healthcare products and services to a market that is large and growing. Our vision is to be Africa’s #1 for pharmacy, wellness and beauty. We believe we have found a partner who can help us achieve this goal over the coming years.
Commenting on the investment, Afsane Jetha, Managing Partner & CEO of Alta Semper said:
“We are very excited about our partnership with HealthPlus, a remarkable example of a homegrown company that has become one of the largest specialty retailers in West Africa. We believe HealthPlus is well-positioned to take advantage of the grossly under-penetrated Nigerian pharmacy retail market and meet the growing demands of Nigerian consumers, as well as to expand regionally into neighbouring countries. We believe that this is an opportune time to enter the Nigerian retail market and invest into a market-leading player such as HealthPlus, which presents a unique risk-adjusted entry strategy, given its existing size and geographic scope. We are looking forward to working closely with Bukky George and her team to further unlock the Company’s growth potential.”
HealthPlus Limited
HealthPlus was founded in 1999 by Mrs. Olubukunola Adewunmi (Bukky) George, FPSN, a Nigeria and UK-trained pharmacist with over 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, who has organically grown the business into the leading pharmacy chain and retailer of beauty supplies in West Africa.
The company’s quest is to provide the Nigerian consumer with high-quality, life-saving and affordable products and services. Furthermore, the company aims to make a meaningful and lasting impact by contributing its quota to the achievement of universal healthcare coverage and to increasing life expectancy for all Nigerians.
It targets a broad base of consumers through the provision of healthcare products such as prescription and over-the-counter medicines, nutritional supplements, natural remedies, home medical equipment, mobility aids and pharmacy services.
The company employs over 700 people which includes 150 pharmacists, with at least two pharmacists dispensing prescription medicines and providing counselling, free health screenings and value-adding pharmacy services at each pharmacy. It operates branches in strategically-located residential areas, shopping centres and airports across 11 of the 36 states in Nigeria. HealthPlus has one of the highest brand recognition and ratings of any consumer company in Nigeria.
The dedication and professionalism of the company has been recognised with several excellence awards including the ICERTIAS Best Buy Award for #1 Pharmacy in Best Price-Quality Ratio 2017, the Nigerian Customer Service Award for Best in the Pharmaceutical Category 2017 and the Nigeria Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA) 2016, 2015, 2014.
Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. – Jim Rohn
Movie superstars have one thing in common: They delight their fans. The more an actor delights his fans, the higher he soars. Any actor who has the ability to make his fans laugh, cry and swing from one mood to another will ensure followership and loyalty from such fans.
Customers – just like fans – have a lot of options available to them. Technology has changed a lot of things today. The customer has a lot of choices to make from diverse alternatives. He can switch to other choices within seconds.
Sometimes, I allocate time to listen to local and international news. Each time I do this, my remote control is always beside me, any TV station that doesn’t meet up with my expectation is ditched immediately without a second thought. A lot of folks do this also. People will not waste their limited time on immaterial things. If you want people to follow you everywhere you go, you need to make a lot of sense.
Selling is acting and acting is selling
The salesman and the movie actor have one thing in common. The salesman wants to impress and satisfy the prospects and customers, while the actor’s target is to delight his fans. Both professionals have audiences to satisfy and they must do the job well.
The salesman’s customers and the actor’s fans are classified as spectators in the context of this write-up. The spectators watch while the salesman and the actor perform their duties. The salesman and the actor are expected to impress their spectators if they must stay in business. The business will go bad once the spectators feel dissatisfied.
The art of selling is a form of Acting. The difference in the selling type of acting is that the actor (the salesman) acts real life scripts and not fiction or invented story. The salesman puts all his being in the script in order to appear real before the buyer. He swings moods when necessary in order to fit into the desires of the buyer. He ensures that whatever he does in the course of selling his products and services delights the buyer. The salesman must be convincing whenever he meets the buyer. His acting will go bad if he fails to look believable.
Your presentation is your acting script
Sales presentation in selling requires high level of acting. Sales presentation is a stage performance. It is not just a presentation; it is an act tailored to fit the audience. The salesman must ensure that he is tailored to fit. His presentation style and confidence level must be appropriate. His products and services must be ideal, credible and apt for the environment.
A good presentation is the one that catches the attention of the buyer. It states what the product intends to do and how it will achieve it. It shows the why of the buying. It is not just a presentation – it is a display of anticipated performance.
Jeffrey Gitomer puts it in an exciting way when he said, ‘‘Salespeople make the fatal mistake of making a presentation. It’s not a presentation; it’s a performance.’’ It takes a lot to arrive at this point. This is where the salesman connects with the buyer. The prospect watches the salesman’s presentation skills, his oratory prowess, his self-confidence and the extent to which he knows his product, his company and the industry. All these sum up to making a movie on the part of the salesman. The salesman makes a real movie in this process! Once he gets it right, the buyer who is the spectator buys his products or services.
The more you delight the spectator, the more you sell
Today’s selling has gone beyond striving to close sales. Successful selling does not end in closing. Success in sales is a process that ensures satisfying and delighting prospects and customers. You may close a sale without satisfying the buyer. This happens sometimes and of course leads to one-off buying. Successful selling goes beyond closing.
A selling champion delights his customers by ensuring that the customer is the centre of his sales activities. Successful sales professionals get the buyer involved in the sales conversation. The prospect or customer will not get involved if he is not made to be part of the sales process. This means that the buyer should understand the salesman’s message from the beginning. No ambiguity. There is no ambiguity in sales. Clarity is the first product the salesman sells. Failure in sales begins with uncertainty. Ambiguity leads to failure.
You need to change your selling strategy if you are not meeting or exceeding your sales target. Sell like a movie superstar who inspires his spectators. Sell like a champion!
Legendary Brian Tracy was right when he said, ‘‘Once you start thinking differently, you start acting differently.’’ It’s your turn to be celebrated as the next superstar. Think it, believe it, demonstrate it and have it.
Sequel to media reports on Monday on the ravaging strange disease in Kano State, which was reported to have cliamed eight lives, the Kano government said it has dispatched a Rapid Response Team to check the authenticity of the reported outbreak of a strange killer disease in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of the state.
The state Commissioner of Health, Kabiru Getso, made this known through the Public Relations Officer of the ministry, Isma’il Gwammaja, on Tuesday in Kano.
He said that the story of the reported outbreak of the strange disease was reported through the media and that prompted the commissioner to direct the rapid response team to swing into action with a view to ascertaining the veracity of the report.
The Nigerian Map, showing Kano State
Mr Getso, however, revealed that as soon as the ministry received details on the findings of the team, it would be made known to members of the public.
NAN reports that on Monday evening, some media outfits in the state reported that a strange disease had claimed the lives of eight persons in Dungurawa community in Dawakin Tofa.
In pursuance of its mission to rid Nigeria of substandard foods and drugs, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned the public to shun the consumption of fruits ripened with calcium carbide.
The agency gave the warning on Monday in Abuja in a statement signed by its management, saying that dangerous effects of carbide-ripened fruits include cancer and other illnesses.
According to the management, consuming such fruits can also cause heart, kidney and liver failure.
NAFDAC Logo
“NAFDAC hereby warns farmers and the general public against the dangers of using calcium carbide for ripening fruits such as banana, mango, plantain, orange and cashew,” the management said.
On how to identify carbide-ripened fruits, the management said that “naturally ripened fruits usually have brown or black spots while those artificially ripened have traces of powdery substances and peel off quickly’’.
The Agency further warned that “ripening fruits and vegetables with calcium carbide is a criminal offence’’, adding that henceforth, perpetrators would be prosecuted.
It advised the public to “report suspected cases to the nearest NAFDAC office or call 09094262773, 09094262772 and 08133630600’’.
The agency reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the health of Nigerians.
NAFDAC, established in 1993, is mandated to regulate and control the manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement, sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, chemicals, detergents, medical devices and packaged water.
Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, had earlier this year, cautioned peddlers of unwholesome foods and drugs in the Nigerian markets, saying the agency will soon commence prosecuting anyone found culprit of such act.
Ajibola Quadri Omotesho is president of the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigeria Students (PANS), University of Ilorin (UNILORIN)
Ajibola Quadri Omotesho is president of the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigeria Students (PANS), University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Ilorin, Kwara State. In this interview with Pharmanews, the final year pharmacy student discusses pharmacy students experiences in UNILORIN, being the institution with the most recently accredited faculty of pharmacy in the country, as well as the achievements of his administration and ways to improve pharmacy education in Nigeria. Excerpts:
How did you come to choose Pharmacy as a course of study?
As a kid, my happiest moment always came from making people feel better with everything I had. Also, my dad being a medical doctor and my mum, an optometrist, I took the initiative of wanting to make people healthy from both of them. Although, I initially wanted to be a medical doctor, I fell in love with Chemistry in secondary school; so I sought for a course that would balance my obsession with my subject of interest and Pharmacy was that course. Since then, I have been enjoying the ride.
What were your motivations for contesting for PANS presidency?
As the first child in a family of six, I was a born leader. Growing up, I was always motivated by the powerful quote which says “leadership is the ability to turn vision into reality”. So, for my vision to advance the status quo of PANS in the University of Ilorin, I have to be in leadership position. In order to realise my vision, I contested for the post of the president and to the glory of God, I won. In addition, motivations from friends and classmates were also important.
Could you tell us some of your achievements and challenges?
Ever since this administration came on board, we have been able to achieve giant strides. In this administration, we have maintained discipline in ensuring that students wear their laboratory clothing which was designed by us and this has been standardised for all laboratory activities.
We have also been able to actualise the commencement of the PANS Enterprise, a project initiated to provide basic services to our members, such as basic ICT services and provide for sales of laboratory materials, snacks, drinks and other essential items to ensure that every student gets everything they want at the faculty.
This administration also achieved a milestone at the last PANS national convention by mobilising the largest number of delegates so far from the University of Ilorin. Other novel ideas conceived by this administration are near realisation.
Your faculty produced its first set of pharmacy graduates in 2017. What would you say are the challenges facing pharmacy education in UNILORIN, and how can they be surmounted?
Being a new school of pharmacy, virtually all of the finances for maintenance of the laboratory materials and equipment come from the university board and sometimes generous donations from friends of the faculty from within and outside the faculty. Other schools of pharmacy have large and strong alumni associations that support the faculty in different ways which then serve to uplift pharmacy education in those schools. Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UNILORIN doesn’t have such solid alumni base which is understandable but still a challenge of sort to the pharmacy education.
Another one is on accommodation for pharmacy students. Accommodation has always been a challenge for pharmacy students in the school, as the school hostel has always been shared based on the total number of students in the faculty; and ours being a new faculty with low population of students always gets a very small slot. This affects pharmacy students’ academic performance, considering transportation issues too.
This can be resolved if there is a separate hostel built for pharmacy students; or better still, more consideration from the school for pharmacy students in allocation of hostels.
If you have the privilege to change some things about pharmacy education in UNILORIN, what would they be?
Pharmacy education in UNILORIN is a complete one, equipping every graduate of the school with solid practical knowledge with sound theoretical background. But if I am to change one thing, it is the conduct of the Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) for pharmacy students, an initiative designed to expose pharmacy students to practical experiences of how the profession is being run.
The duration of this training for pharmacy students is about three months in a particular establishment, which, from personal experience, is not usually enough. Hence I will change the duration of this training to about six months in a particular establishment, allowing students to grasp full practical knowledge, including the confidence which will help them after graduation and during internship.
The management UNILORIN recently released a circular regarding dress code for students, and there has been uproar in the media with regards to some of the dress codes prohibited. How would you react to this?
In the university, all students are assessed both in character and in learning; and a subset of character is the dressing of all students in the school. The saying, “The way you dress is the way you will be addressed “, is being preached far and wide within the school. Every student of the school is an ambassador of the school, so there is a need for the university to have a say in how students of the school should be perceived; hence the dress code.
Although some students termed the dress code prohibitions as being too harsh but I believe there are very good reasons for this prohibitions. This control has contributed to the school being the most sought after university in Nigeria as parents are assured of inculcation of good character in the students by the school.
There has been another controversy surrounding the Nigeria Bar Association and the UNILORIN law graduate, Amasa Firdaus, who was refused her call to bar for failing to remove her hijab, what is your take on this, especially as regards pharmacy students in the school.
The issue of the University of Ilorin law graduate who was refused her call to bar just because she didn’t want to remove her hijab is being viewed from different perspectives in the school – some commend her, while some condemn her. For me, it is a subject of modesty and principles. As men of honor, we must uphold both at all times; and this can be observed amongst pharmacists and pharmacy students as the wearing of hijab in line with religious injunction is viewed as an excellent dress code in pharmacy school, UNILORIN. There is no discrimination concerning wearing of hijab over here and this should be replicated elsewhere.
What is the level of support PANS-UNILORIN is receiving from technical bodies like PSN and ACPN in Kwara State?
The backbone of PANS-UNILORIN has been both the faculty board and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Kwara State. The support received from PSN Kwara State has always been superfluous, both morally and financially, as they are always ready to welcome PANS whenever we go knocking.
The support of the PSN, Kwara State, and other technical bodies of PSN, especially during the organisation of our first PANS week cannot be overemphasised. PANS is usually given the opportunity to present its update during the monthly meetings of PSN. Important contributions from these notable personalities have been a driving force for PANS-UNILORIN and we are rapidly developing.
The national body of PANS has also been supportive, as PANS-UNILORIN has always been carried along, even before we were fully accredited
No fewer than 55 pharmacy graduands of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan (UI), Ibadan, Oyo State, were recently inducted into the pharmacy profession, by the Registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), at the induction ceremony, held at the prestigious Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, Nigeria.
The glamorous Induction Ceremony had several dignitaries, pharmacy professors, students, parents, pharmacists, and members of staff, Faculty of Pharmacy, UI in attendance.
L-R: Pharm. Olakunle Ekundayo, ceo, Drugfield Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Limited; Pharm. Mohammed Elijah, registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN); and Prof. Oluwatoyin Odeku, dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, UI, at the induction ceremony.
Top among the dignitaries that attended the event are: Pharm. Mohammed Elijah, registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN); Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka, vice-chancellor, University of Ibadan; Prof. Emilolorun A Ayelari, deputy vice-chancellor, Administration; Prof. Oluwatoyin Odeku, dean, Faculty of Pharmacy; Pharm. (Alh) Ahmed Yakasai, president, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), represented by Pharm. Abiodun Ajibade, PSN Chairman, Oyo State; Pharm. Olakunle Ekundayo, chief executive officer, and founder, Drugfield Pharmaceuticals Limited; Pharm. Lanre Tiamiyu, president, Pharmacy Alumni, University of Ibadan; Pharm. Yejide Oseni, zonal director, PCN, South West Zone; Prof. Olabode Popoola, vice-chancellor, University of Osun State (UNIOSUN), and Pharm. (Dr) Lolu Ojo, former national chairman, NAIP.
In his address, the vice chancellor of the university, Prof. Abel Olayinka, charged the graduands to be good ambassadors of the institution, adding that they should be found worthy in character and in the discharge of their responsibilities.
He noted that in the history of the faculty, over 850 pharmacists have graduated and have started contributing in several ways to the development of pharmacy practice in particular and Nigeria as a whole, adding that pharmacy practice is an integral part of healthcare and cannot be substituted in the healthcare sector.
A cross -section of pharmacy graduands at the oath-taking ceremony
The university don, while congratulating the faculty on the recent accreditation of pharmacy programme in the university by the PCN, said his administration would continue its drive towards development in the institution and ensure that the status of the university remains the first in the country.
Presenting the 55 graduands for the oath-taking and induction ceremony, the dean of the faculty, Prof. Oluwatoyin Odeku, who disclosed that the induction was the first to be conducted by her, since her assumption of office as dean, urged the graduands to continue to uplift the banner of the university wherever they found themselves.
She further implored them to always be professional in their conducts and deeds, even during their internship , they should not be money conscious, but rather possess the zeal to save lives and satisfy the professional ethics of pharmacy profession.
While administering the oath, the Registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) Pharm. Elijah Mohammed, urged the newly inducted pharmacists to abide by the ethics of the profession. He also advised them to develop leadership and interpersonal relationship skills, which he said were vital in pharmacy practice.
The keynote speaker, Pharm. Olakunle Ekundayo, explained that pharmacy profession is more than just a profession, but a calling and occupation that opens the way to several career opportunities for people to excel in life and fulfil their God-given purpose in life.
The industrial pharmacist, who spoke on the topic “It Is Written”, further admonished the graduands to be ready to position themselves for leadership roles, adding that whatever happens to them in life can be determined by them as nobody would be responsible for their life careers.
The high point of the event was the award of the much-coveted prize for the best graduating student, which was won by Adenike Rachael Adelakun.
Meanwhile, 15 graduands came out with first class honours and were featured on the ‘Roll of Honour’, they included, Adenike Rachael Adelakun, 6.8 CGPA; Chibuzor Maureen Okoro, 6.8; Funmilayo Mosadijeofa Owolowo, 6.7; Rukayat Ohuene Audu, 6.7; Yemisi Mary Oyetunde, 6.6; Abosede Akinkuowo, 6.5; Blaise Omo-Sowho Uvie, 6.5; Anuoluwapo Esther Odunsanya, 6.5; Tolulope Stephen Babalola, 6.2; Adeola Tunmike Omotuyi, 6.2; Jeremiah Adewuyi Alade, 6.1; Shukuralilahi Abidemi Adewusui, 6.0; Emmanuel Ayodeji Agbebi, 6.0; Joshua Tosin Salako, 6.0; Dolapo Asisat Sanusi, 6.0.
Prof. Bolajoko Aina, dean, Pharmacy Faculty, University of Lagos (UNILAG) has identified finance as the major challenge of running the faculty.
Speaking in a recent interview with Pharmanews the dean explained that the dynamics of running a faculty and, by extension, a school is no longer what it used to be.
According to her, sometimes academic staff are compelled to use their personal money to facilitate some projects, adding that if they are lucky, they could get a refund.
“However if the project is not given due recognition, you risk losing the fund you invested. Usually, we are given some funds to operate. But in most cases, they are not always enough. Secondly, the funds don’t get released on time to the faculty.
“For instance, we have power challenge in the faculty. What this means is that we cannot continue to wait. We have to do something fast. That means you need to use your money and later ask for a refund,” she said.
She added that the pressure sometimes gets so much that one forgets to ask for a refund on time, noting that if it takes a longer period, it may result into loss of such fund.
Prof. Bolajoko Aina, dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos (UNILAG
In her summation, the faculty’s alumni hold some programmes at least once every year in the Faculty.
“But we recently discovered that we have not been doing enough.Subsequently we took a decision that either alumni chairman or secretary should get involved in our meeting from time to time.
“This should draw them closer to the faculty instead of just the usual one-day alumni programme where we get to see them frequently,” she opined.
For a new helmsman, the professor confessed that her job was made easier because she understands the power of teamwork.
“In UNILAG Faculty of pharmacy, we work together as a team. This makes the work easier for whoever is coming in as dean. For instance, if I have an issue, I can call on any of my previous deans for assistance,” he remarked.
As a member of PSN national executive council, Aina noted that she somehow craves for more presence of PSN and PCN in the faculty.
“Presently, I have made a bid for some programmes (I don’t want to disclose) that could be actualized in the faculty. It was a decision I took after consulting with my professors and former deans,” she said.
Commenting on her students-dean relationship, the professor remarked that it has been quite good.
She did not however hide her displeasure about that some of the students have gone from being coolheaded to being recalcitrant.
The dean recalled an incident that occurred during last year’s strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) where the faculty took a decision to stick to the academic calendar and run its programmes subtly.
Unfortunately, the plan went awry when they discovered that some Pharmacy students had secretly sent messages to ASUU (Akoka chapter) to disrupt the programme.
“We had no choice other than to move out of the premises rather than wait for them to invade the faculty. What we also discovered was that our students have started copying the lifestyle of their Akoka (campus) counterparts.
“Nevertheless, I still adore them. Long before I became the dean, my relationship with them is still like that of mother and children. They still confide in me when they have academic issue and in dire need of counsel,” she explained.
When asked about her relationship with immediate past dean, Prof. Boladale Silva, the dean described him as a gentleman.
“Up till now, we still communicate. If we have anything to discuss, I always approach him. He is always willing listen and help out,” she said.
Prof. Bolajoko Aina who was sworn in as dean on August 1, 2017 is expected to pilot affair of the pharmacy faculty till 2019 when a new candidate would be appointed.
A charitable pharmacy may be defined as a not-for-profit pharmaceutical premises or pharmacy location where prescription drugs and other approved medicinal products are supplied directly to a specific population of qualified persons as allowable under the law.
In the USA, for instance, pharmacy laws vary from state to state; and in those states where regulations permit the operation of a charitable pharmacy, specific guidelines may limit the scope of prescription drugs that could be dispensed from the medicine bank.
Prescription Drugs logo
Regulations on charitable pharmacies in states where medicine banks or drug product recycling is permitted typically cover operational areas related to:
(a) Whether individuals, manufacturers, wholesalers, hospitals or business corporations MAY or MAY NOT donate drug products to a charitable pharmacy.
(b) Whether a charitable pharmacy may or may not charge a FEE for the dispensing processes.
(c) The prescription drug products that may be: donated, received and dispensed in a charitable pharmacy.
(d) Exclusion of controlled drug substances in the list of drugs that may be stocked by a charitable pharmacy.
(e) The type of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that are allowed under the law to operate a charitable pharmacy
(f) Whether The charitable pharmacy MAY receive donations in monetary terms or not in the operations of its free service.
(g) Geographical locations permitted by law for the charitable pharmacy because of the specific population group it is intended/allowed to serve. Cities appear more probable due to high population.
(h) Whether the patient population served in the charitable pharmacy may or may not participate in manufacturer sponsored drug-product clinical trials OR if manufacturer drug samples are allowed for distribution in the premises of the pharmacy.
(i) Time interval to product expiration (in months) permitted for DRUG donations to a charitable pharmacy; And, whether specialty medicines or refrigerated products are allowed or not.
(j) Staff recruitment, tenure of employment, volunteer services and whether workers in a charitable pharmacy may receive remuneration for work or not. For example, interns or students on attachment.
(k) Scope of services to be offered outside of prescription drug dispensing, that is, if the services includes medication therapy management, vaccination and or the dispensing of “non-proprietary” products aka over-the-counter drugs.
(l) Whether a charitable pharmacy may or may not receive and or transfer prescription products to a “for-profit pharmacy” or such other profit oriented health centers and vice versa.
(m) A clear definition of the physical appearance and or characteristics of products that may or may not be donated to a charitable pharmacy. For example, “must” be in original manufacturers’ pack unopened. Or, “may” be in original unbroken packaging from the: pharmacy, wholesaler, distributor, or manufacturer.
(n) Whether the recipient(s) of prescription products dispensed by the charitable pharmacy” must” be present in person as “proof of need” or whether a care giver or family member may present the drug-order on their behalf.
(o) How the charitable pharmacy will dispose of expired medications to a reverse distributor for destruction?
(p) The operational hours of a charitable pharmacy especially as relates to weekends and holidays.
According to a study by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) up to 18 million persons may lose Health Insurance coverage following a repeal of The Affordable Care Act (ACA), and five million more who receive coverage under The ACAs Medicaid expansion programme could be negatively impacted in addition.
The same study estimates that by 2026, the numbers of uninsured may reach 59 million individuals. Free clinics and medicine banks therefore have a progressively complementary role in increasing patients’ accessibility to healthcare and medications, particularly in circumstances such as the flu epidemic, when emergency room ER services are typically overstretched.
A Report by The National Conference Of State Legislature 03/31/2017 titled “State Prescription Drug Return, Reuse and Recycling Laws” reveals some interesting data on the positive impact of Charitable Pharmacies in some States where the Law has been operational:
State of IOWA Drug Recycle Program began in 2007, served 70,000 patients and redistributed drugs and supplies worth $15 million to people in need.
Wyoming’s Drug Donation Program started in 2005, provided 125,000 prescriptions worth $10 million to Wyoming residents.
State of Oklahoma which started a similar programme in 2004 filled 193,926 prescriptions worth an wholesale price of $19,151,731.
For NGOs that may be interested in the project of a charitable pharmacy, that is, in places where legislation or enactments permit; For emphasis, other important considerations of note relevant to a successful outcome shall include:
(i) How to secure a safe and adequate building (possibly a donation) towards the project?
(ii) How to recruit a volunteer team of interested professionals and how to ensure adequacy of staff once the project kicks off?
(iii) How to raise FUNDS (possibly from corporate sponsors and individuals) by philanthropy, towards the take off and for operational expenses per projections of community need?
(iv) How to identify people who are favorably disposed to charitable services in the community and those including students who may be willing to volunteer towards the initial development of the project?
(v) Identifying the type of professional manpower needed for a successful operation of a charitable pharmacy, that is, other than the pharmacist, since, state and federal law requires filing annually and appropriately too, a statement of income and or expenditure showing value of Inventory held per year.
(vi) How to screen prospective patients for eligibility and how to define eligibility criteria for a charitable pharmacy particularly in accordance with state or federal law?
In conclusion, a charitable pharmacy, as the name rightly suggests, is a pharmaceutical premises established primarily for the needy in our communities, and, it serves as a unique means of providing much needed prescription drugs to the indigent in a community so that healthcare does not elude them and their families.
On 8 March 2018, the world marked International Women’s Day to recognise the achievements of women throughout the world, as well as to highlight their rights and challenges. Currently, much effort is particularly being made by governments and other stakeholders in sub-Saharan Africa to address issues affecting women’s right and reproductive health. Yet, only very few people on the continent have dedicated their lives for this cause. Prominent among them is the pioneer and current Vice Chancellor of Ondo State University of Medical Sciences, Professor Friday Okonofua.
Okonofua is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Benin. An internationally renowned expert in women’s sexual health and reproductive research, he has been at the forefront, championing the advancement of women’s rights and reproductive health in Nigeria and indeed Africa. He has led and conducted many seminal research programmes, as well as documenting the socio-cultural determinants of women’s health. He has equally provided critical data for developing policies and programmes for implementing best practices in sub Saharan Africa.
In recognition of his outstanding research and expertise in women’s reproductive health, he was appointed as the executive director of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in 2009. He was also an Honorary Adviser on Health to President Olusegun Obasanjo from July 2006 to May 29, 2007.
Professor Okonofua is a recipient of more than 40 research grants, and he is a member of several international organisations and committees, including the editorial board of the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, where he has served for more than 12 years. He is a reviewer to 20 international journals, and a technical consultant to many international agencies, including the World Health Organisation, the Macarthur Foundation.
In 2010, he was appointed as the programme officer, Ford Foundation, West Africa Office and in 2012, he was appointed as Chairman of Ethical Review Board of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research. In 2014, he was appointed as the Team Leader of the University of Benin chapter of the West African Regional Centre of Excellence in Reproductive Health Research and Innovation (CERHI). All three positions he holds till date.
Ground-Breaking Initiatives
Professor Okonofua’s vision and passion for women’s rights and their reproductive health spurred him to establish the Women’s Health and Action Research Centre (WHARC) in 1993. WHARC is non-governmental, charitable organisation focused on promoting female reproductive health research.
Located in Benin-City, Nigeria, WHARC consists of a multi-disciplinary team of health, social science and legal professionals and researchers working together to build the knowledge base and to improve the policy environment for advancing women’s health in Africa. The Centre also publishes the African Journal of Reproductive Health (AJRH), now widely recognised as the leading journal that promotes women’s reproductive health and the principles of sexual rights, equity and social justice in sub-Saharan Africa.
Women’s Health and Action Research Centre, (WHARC). Women’s Reproductive Health
In 1999, Okonofua established the Owan Women Empowerment Project, a not-for-profit organisation headquartered in Afuze, Edo State. The organisation was handed to the local community in 2008, with a handover grant of $100,000 from the Ford Foundation.
Education and Career
Professor Okonofua attended the University of Ife (Obafemi Awolowo University) where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in Health Science in 1978. He began his career in 1978 at University of Benin Teaching Hospital as a medical intern. After his internship in 1979, he was mobilised for the compulsory one year national youth service programme and was deployed to Ipokia District Hospital, Ogun State as a medical officer. He completed his youth service in 1980, the same year he became a senior house officer at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital. In 1983, he became a Senior Registrar in the department and in 1984 he was promoted as Chief Resident Officer.
In 1981, Okonofua enrolled for his fellowship at the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the West African College of Surgeons. He became a fellow of the West African College of Surgeons in 1984 and a fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria in 1985. Between 1984 and 1985, he was a clinical research fellow at the Department of Chemical pathology of Royal Free Hospital, the teaching hospital of the University of London. In 2005, he received his PhD in International Health from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.
Professor Okonofua commenced his academic career as Lecturer 1 in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Obafemi Awolowo University in 1986. He served as the Acting Head of Department between 1987 and 1992, and rose to the post of Professor in 1992. He transferred his services to the University of Benin in 1996, where he served as the Head of Department, Dean, Provost, of the college of medicine and member of the University’s Governing Council.
Special recognitions:
Professor Okonofua is a recipient of several honours, including the Distinguished Alumnus Award of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Special Achievers Award by the Nigerian Television Authority, Distinguished Services Award by the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria.
Professor Okonofua was a Takemi Fellow in International health at School of Public Health, Harvard University between 1991 and 1992. In 2004, he became a fellow of the International College of Surgeons. He is also a Fellow of both the Nigerian Academy of Science (FAS) as well as the New York Academy of Science. He has also authored and co-authored several books, scholarly articles, monographs and technical reports on women’s sexual and reproductive health.
Following the statement made by the world second richest man, Bill Gates, on Thursday that Nigeria is one of the most dangerous places to give birth; gynaecologists in the country have recently presented carefully designed guidelines to improve the nation’s infants and maternal health record in the world.
The Chairman of Bill and Melinda Foundation, who was on a visit to the country noted that :“Nigeria is one of the most dangerous places in the world to give birth with the fourth worst maternal mortality rate in the world ahead of only Sierra Leone, Central African Republic and Chad. One in three Nigerian children is chronically malnourished”.
While maternal health experts did not dispute his submission, they have highlighted factors responsible for this woeful state of infants and maternal health, and provided measures to improve the condition, going forward.
L-R: Professor of obstetrics and gynnaecology, Adetokunbo Fabanwo; and Emeritus Prof. Osato Giwa-Osagie, at an event in NIMR recently.
According to Emeritus Professor of obstetrics and gynaecology, Osato Giwa-Osagie, one of the factors responsible for infants and maternal mortality is old wives tales, which have been passed down to younger women, and consequently prevent them from seeking care during pregnancy, until complications set in.
“In as much as we are taking time to address these myths, we want everyone to know that pregnancy is not a disease, and should not be leading to death. If only pregnant women will take their time to attend antenatal care; follow their doctors advices, nearly ninety-five percent of pregnancies will be delivered successfully at child birth without complications. However, it’s the remaining five percent nobody knows where they are”.
Giwa-Osagie, who is also the joint pioneer of In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)/Test Tube Baby in Nigeria, however decried the situation where pregnant women present late to the hospital.“Unfortunately, most times, when some of these pregnant women who had initially neglected antenatal care are brought to the hospitals, it’s either the baby is dead or the mother is in a serious condition. This is why I recommend the book “What Mama didn’t tell you about pregnancy-the myth, the truth and the lie”, for every woman, who desires to carry her pregnancy to term successfully”.
For Dr Gregory Ohihoin, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), an average black pregnant woman is predisposed to more complications than her white counterpart, has shown by study a conducted in the US.
“Even in the US, where they have access to the best healthcare facilities, they have access to the best doctors, and they are well educated with good socio-economic status, but the study found that the outcome of a black woman’s pregnancy will be worse than that of an average white woman with the same standard. And I discovered that black pregnant women will have more complications than their white counterparts”, he noted.
Dr Ohihoin, who identified preeclampsia as one of the reasons for infants and maternal mortality, recommended earlier diagnosis of pregnancy and early antenatal registration as keys to overcoming this challenge.
“One of the reasons for this occurrence is hypertensive complications in pregnancy known as preeclampsia, and it runs in more aggressive force in black women. The implication is that black pregnant women should be given more attention than an average pregnant white woman, because she has a higher risk of pregnancy complications. Earlier diagnosis of pregnancy and earlier antenatal registration is the key to overcoming this challenge”, he revealed.
Ohihoin, who recently launched four books, one of which was “What Mama didn’t tell you about pregnancy-the myth, the truth and the lie”, urged every woman of pregnancy age to get a copy of the book, and read, in order to equip themselves with useful information for safe motherhood.
NIMR Director General, Prof. Babatunde Salako also noted the importance of the book, saying it was published in an attempt to reduce the maternal mortality rate and improve pregnancy outcome in Nigeria.
Salako added that the book came as a timely intervention to assuage the state of pregnant women’s health in the country, because essential information and interventions reaching women and babies on time would avert maternal deaths.
Gates had urged the Nigerian government to investment in the people and their health.
He said, “The most important choice you can make is to maximize your greatest resource, the Nigerian people. Nigeria will thrive when every Nigerian is able to thrive.
“If you invest in their health, education and opportunities – the “human capital” we are talking about today – then they will lay the foundation for sustained prosperity. If you don’t, however, then it is very important to recognise that there will be a sharp limit on how much the country can grow.
You are what your deep driving desire is. As your deep driving desire, so is your will; as your will is, so is your deed; and as your deed is, so is your destiny.
In my profession, Pharmacy, there is what is called pharmaceutical index of a drug.
Pharm. Sesan Kareem
This is the range within which drugs are optimally effective to produce pharmacological response required of the drug. Any alteration (increase or decrease) in this therapeutic index will not and cannot produce optimal response.
In a similar vein, each individual has his own therapeutic index, an optimal functioning area where he can and will function at its best. This is a point where he can function optimally and this is where the greatness of his destiny lies.
Every individual must endeavour to study himself and find out his optimal functioning zone. English philosopher and writer G.K. Chesterton remarked, “One may understand the cosmos, but never the ego, the self is more distant than any star”.
You must find ways to be an active force in your life. You must take the total advantage of your destiny, design a life of substance and truly begin to live your dreams. If your therapeutic index is a fashion designer and you are a medical practitioner, you might not find fulfilment. If your optimal functioning zone is entertainment and you are in security, you may not grab your destiny.
One of the most important factors that determine your destiny is your ability to determine your niche in order to perform optimally. Imagine if Isaac Newton had ventured into business without discovering his ability to observe things minutely, which is a major pre-requisite in science, he probably would not have been known. Discovery made him a great scientist.
Michael Dell, Bill Gates, Christiana Ronaldo, Usain Bolt, Jeff Bezos, Strive Masiyiwa, Tony Robbins and Ben Carson are great men of the world because they discovered themselves. There is always a worthy price for discovery. “No one remains quite what he was,” said Thomas Man “when he recognises himself.”
Robert Kelly, popularly known as R. Kelly, discovered his music talent at an early age. This is what makes him a superstar among the stars. David Beckham’s parents discovered his football skill in his early life and this was what brought him fame and fortune. For you to reach the zenith of success, you must discover who you are, your abilities, strengths, weaknesses, potentials, talents, skills and personality. Those who have learnt early in life to look inward, study themselves and follow their native gifts are those who conquer the world and grab their destiny.
Many people have travelled through the wrong path in life and this has affected their destinies. Here is the good news; it is never too late to rediscover yourself. Your age, status, gender, condition or position in life does not limit you in rediscovering yourself. You must cast your mind back to the past, link it with the present to determine your future.
Self-awareness is of importance in discovering who you are. Self-awareness allows you to connect with your emotions, thoughts and actions. You must learn to be aware of your actions. One way to do this is by examining how you make appraisals. Appraisals are all of the different impressions, interpretations, evaluations and expectations you have about yourself, others and situations. These appraisals are largely influenced by your conscience. It takes everything you gather as information already stored in your mind.
Taking cognizance of your thoughts influences your self-awareness, actions and reactions, thus allowing you to alter them, if they are not right.
Discovering your strength involves knowing your passion. What do you engage in that brings you happiness and fulfilment? What do you consciously or unconsciously always find yourself engaging in? It may even be that friends and family members have acknowledged you for this ability. Then I’m convinced, that is your therapeutic index, your optimal functioning zone, your strength and where the greatness of your destiny lies.
Humorously, I always put it like this. “If you want an hour of happiness have a nap; if you want a day of happiness go for a picnic; if you want a week of happiness go for a vacation; if you want months of happiness marry your beautiful spouse; if you want years of happiness, inherit wealth; but, if you want a lifetime of happiness discover your passion and follow it.”
Neil Somerville said, “You are the master of your destiny, use your strength well. They are the keys to your destiny and your success in life. Once you know yourself and take action to realise your dreams, you can unlock the doors to your own potential”. You must be faithful in discovering yourself for you to be fruitful in life.
ACTION PLAN: Take 30 minutes and write an article with the title, “Who Am I?” Reflect back on your past experiences, connect them with the present and link them to the future as you write.
AFFIRMATION: I operate within my therapeutic index. I am blessed and highly favoured.
Taking a multitude of prescription medications at a time is described as polypharmacy. More than five drugs administered by any route constitute too many drugs in a prescription, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). This is a massive burde
Pharm. Ayodeji Oni
n on patients, as it leads to a myriad of drug interactions, adverse drug events, medication non-adherence, reduced functional capacity, cognitive impairment, falls, urinary incontinence and poor nutrition, which all invariably lead to bad therapeutic outcome.
Polypharmacy is most prevalent amongst the elderly, hospital in-patients, and nursing home patients. The best interventions involve an inter-professional approach that often includes a clinical pharmacist.
Tracking prescription drug use from 1999 to 2012 through a large national survey, Harvard researchers reported that 39 percent of those over age 65 now use five or more medications, a 70 percent increase in polypharmacy over 12 years. It is therefore imperative that the pharmacist enlightens other members of the healthcare team, as well as the patients, on medicines and the complexities of prescribing and taking too many drugs.
Community pharmacists on the other hand, must not coerce patients into buying drugs with the aim of making sales alone. This leads us to an alternative definition of polypharmacy, which is the use of more medications than are medically necessary. For this definition, medications that are not indicated, not effective, or which constitute a therapeutic duplication would be considered polypharmacy. It is therefore imperative for pharmacists in the community practice to balance professionalism with business ethics by selling and dispensing only prescription medicines necessary for a patient’s condition.
Patients and families must ask their pharmacists for medicine use review services, where they bring all the drugs they use to discuss whether to change or continue certain drug regimens. I remember the case of a patient taking four different supplements, all containing calcium, without knowing. My timely intervention saved her from complications such as hardening of arteries which could be fatal.
Some drug combinations can spell trouble when prescribed, especially in the elderly. For instance, using aspirin as a painkiller, while using clopidogrel, could lead to severe bleeding through the blood-thinning effect. A combination of simvastatin and amlodipine should also be avoided in any prescription, as statins, along with their cholesterol-lowering properties, can cause muscle pain and weakness; amlodipine heightens that risk. A different blood pressure, drugs such as Lisinopril would be a safer choice.
One of the complications that arise as a result of polypharmacy includes devastating falls, leading to broken hips and head injuries, many of which account for preventable visits to emergency care, causing higher mortality risks overall.
Preventing polypharmacy
Polypharmacy can be addressed on two fronts, which involve engaging healthcare providers and patients themselves. In meetings or gatherings involving any association of healthcare workers, discussions should be tailored towards weaning patients off dubious medications and educating them on the risks and benefits of the drugs being prescribed and dispensed by the doctor and pharmacist respectively. Information on how to manage multiple prescriptions should be discussed with patients.
The patient, or any caregiver close to the patient taking multiple medications, can combat potentially dangerous problems by keeping a list of all medications, including vitamins and over-the-counter items. On every hospital visit, ask the pharmacist to help check your list for any complications and remember to report all adverse drug reactions.
Ultimately, the best way to reduce polypharmacy is to overhaul our fragmented approach to healthcare. Team effort will bring about a radical change in overcoming polypharmacy as physicians, pharmacists and nurses must work together to reduce drug wastage, adverse drug reactions and bad therapeutic outcome.
Mr Santosh Kumar, managing director of World Wide Commercial Ventures Limited (WWCVL) has bemoaned the arbitrary registration of same pharma brands from different countries, saying that the practice is worrisome.
Speaking during a media tour of the company’s facility by a Pharmanews delegation led by Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director of the media outift, which took place on 16 March, 2018, Kumar said the trend is one of the major challenges facing pharmaceutical marketing and distribution.
“I believe when a particular pharmaceutical product is registered, no company should be allowed again to bring in same drug. But things are a bit different here.
L-R: Mr Santosh Kumar, managing director, World Wide Commercial Ventures Limited (WWCVL) presenting a memento to Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director, Pharmanews Limited.
“For instance, if Brand ‘X’ (UK) is brought to the market, you will subsequently see Brand ‘X’ (India), Brand ‘X’ (Indonesia) and others. Sometimes this deprives investors and even our partners of business opportunities,” he lamented.
The WWCVL boss recalled that at the time he came into Nigeria about 10 years ago, there was chaos in the drug distribution system with so many counterfeit and substandard products in the market.
“Today, it has reduced drastically. New pharmaceutical companies have sprung up, leading to competition among brands. Also, I think the regulatory body (NAFDAC), has done well in sanitising the system,” he remarked.
L-R: Sherring Thekekkara, chief executive officer, Worldwide Healthcare, in a warm handshake with Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director, Pharmanews Limited while Mr Santosh Kumar, managing director, World Wide Commercial Ventures Limited (WWCVL) looks on.
WWCVL boss lists challenges of pharma distribution companies
When asked to mention another challenge facing the logistics and distribution company, Kumar explained that the unavailability of a unified pharmaceutical register is another worrying issue.
He disclosed that no individual or organisation seems to have an up-to-date statistics on the number of pharma outlets, vendors selling on the road and those in the open market.
On whether there are special criteria considered before signing up local pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria under the WWCVL umbrella, Kumar explained that only two factors – products quality and companies’ business policy – play a key role in such consideration
Gaps in the Nigerian Pharma market
On his part, Sherring Thekekkara, chief executive officer, Worldwide Healthcare, disclosed that there is no much difference between the Nigerian pharma market and its counterparts in South Africa and Ghana.
According to him, the major difference is that South Africa has more registered pharmacists and lots of insurance coverage.
L-R: Mr Joel Omikunle, business development manager, Pharmanews Limited; Pharm. Lucky Ubokor, WWCVL superintendent pharmacist; Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director, Pharmanews Limited and Yusuff Moshood, editor, Pharmanews, during the facility inspection.
“The risk of doing business in South Africa is therefore minimal. Unlike Nigeria, Ghana market has no price control. The only challenge I have with the Nigerian market is that there is no enforcement of laws and regulations.
“You go to the market and see counterfeits of your products boldly on display. I don’t think it is right to pay tax, pay for power, operating license, security and other charges to do business and still encounter such a challenge,” he lamented.
While taking the Pharmanews delegation through WWCVL warehouse, storage centres and controlled drugs section, Pharm. Lucky Ubokor, superintendent pharmacist of the company, disclosed that the facilities have biometric control and built according to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standard.
While applauding the host for setting a good standard in the logistics and distribution sub-sector of the pharmaceutical industry, Atueyi reiterated that the courtesy visit was in fulfilment of his earlier pledge to visit the company.
Says NAFDAC set to blacklist countries sending substandard products to Nigeria
Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, has stated that the federal government’s policy which prevents officials of the agency from staying at the ports must be changed, saying it is counterproductive.
Prof. Adeyeye who decried the restriction, described it as a huge limitation to NAFDAC’s operations, as it is impossible for the agency to control drugs distribution from its offices.
While calling for the intervention of all stakeholders as well as that of the legislative and judicial arms of the government to resolve the issue, she noted that the rising epidemic of drug abuse and misuse in the country, especially among the youth, can be attributed to this gap.
The NAFDAC boss made the submission at a recent Breakfast Meeting organised by the American Business Council, at Protea Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
L-R: George Nasser, managing director, P&G; Director General, National Agency for Food, Drug and Administrative Control (NAFDAC) Professor Mojisola Adeyeye; CEO/Executive Secretary, Mrs Margaret Olele;Temitope Iluyemi,Director Africa Global Govt. Relations & Public Policy, P&G; and an executive of American Business Council at the event.
Adeyeye also sent a warning signal to dealers of substandard drugs in the country, declaring that it would no longer be business as usual for all foreign countries, whose inferior and adulterated drugs and foods had hitherto flooded the Nigerian market, adding that the agency would soon start prosecuting the perpetrating companies.
Her words: “We are going to blacklist many countries; for instance, the Asian countries, which are in the habit of sending substandard products to Nigeria, because the country has been inundated with narcotic products. In fact, we will possibly prosecute any foreign company found guilty of the act henceforth”.
The NAFDAC DG, who briefed the audience on the new development in the agency in the area of ICT, disclosed that the agency was setting up electronic platforms for all transactions, ranging from e-registration, e-clearance and e-permit, in such a way that companies can relate with the agency without the delay of face-to-face communication, which will make NAFDAC’s work easier and faster.
Adeyeye also spoke on advert registration and vetting, with emphasis on improved procedures.
According to her: “The process is being streamlined for now, and paper submission is drastically reduced, as we are encouraging companies to do e-registration, as well as submit advert materials on CD-ROM.
“All adverts shall conform to the principles of fair competition and should be in the interest of all consumers and wider Nigerian society. Only NAFDAC registered products should be advertised, while advert vetting is done through the registration and regulatory affairs. While all approved adverts are valid for one year, there is option to increase validity.”
She further assured stakeholders and investors to expect holistic transformations in the operations of NAFDAC during her tenure, stating that there would be strict adherence to deadlines.
In her presentation at the meeting, Mrs Margaret Olele, CEO/executive secretary, American Business Council, explained the roles of the council and why it was hosting the new DG of NAFDAC.
In her words: “The American Business Council is the voice of American investments in Nigeria and the Nigerian Affiliate of the US Chamber of Commerce. Working with the US Mission and other partners, we drive trade and investment opportunities between Nigeria and United States of America in the interest of its member companies and both countries. Our overarching goal is to support sustainable socio-economic reform initiatives in Nigeria through public policy advocacy, promotion and implementation.
In line with the federal government’s objective on improving the ease of doing business in the country, it is imperative for stakeholders and the media to share their perspectives with the DG of NAFDAC, in order to have an organised and healthy society”.
Pharm. Ajibola Nojeem Lawal is the founder and chief executive officer of Nokadiz Pharmaceuticals Limited, a giant wholesale and retail pharmaceutical enterprise in Bauchi, Bauchi State.
Lawal, whose pharmacy career spans over 30 years, covering hospital practice, public health and community practice, is a University of Washington trained expert in leadership and health management.
A holder of a B.Pharm from University of Ibadan (1987), Lawal also holds a PGD in Management (2000), an MBA in Marketing (2004) and another PGD in Public Health (2007) all from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi.
A specialist in procurement and logistics management of ARV drugs and capacity building of health service providers, his rich career has seen him work with government, international non-governmental organisations and local communities. He has continued to demonstrate extensive knowledge of resource management, programmatic and technical support on HIV/AIDS, malaria and nutrition activities.
Lawal has been a pharmacy specialist for the Howard University Global Initiative in Yobe State since July 2013. He has worked as a consultant on several health projects across the northern and southern states for several years. These included Bauchi State government and organisations such as Society for Family Health, Global Fund, and World Bank.
The Abeokuta, Ogun State born pharmacist was the chairman, Transport and Security Committee (LOC), PSN national conference, Yankari 2004, Bauchi; vice chairman, National Association of General Practice Pharmacists (NAGPP), Bauchi, 1995 to 1997; and secretary, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Bauchi State, 2008 to 2013.
He is happily married to Mrs Khalimat Omayoza Lawal and blessed with four children.
By Comrade Nurse Abdrafiu Alani Adeniji (National President, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives)
Comrade Nurse Abdrafiu Alani Adeniji
Nursing profession is perhaps one of the most underrated and misunderstood professions in the Nigerian society. Despite constituting the largest number of global health care professionals and being the most predominant component of any hospital personnel infrastructure (in the United States, the number of registered nurses is more than four times the number of practicing physicians), the truth remains that very few people understand the myriad roles and responsibilities of nurses until they are in need of nursing care themselves.
Nurses and their contributions are vital components of any reliable healthcare organisation striving for zero patient harm and quality care. It has been suggested that hospitals promoting better nursing environments with above-average staffing ratios experience lower patient mortality, particularly for patients considered “high-risk.”
According to Terry Fulmer, president of the John A. Hartford foundation, “whether people know it or not, they come into hospitals for nursing care.” For example, if a patient comes in for surgery, that operation may last hours, but subsequent nursing care may be required for days, weeks, and even months, depending on the patient’s trajectory.
Surgery is one thing, but it is the nursing care post-surgery that will determine how quickly patients recover, the success or failure of the intended surgical outcomes, and the quality of life recovered during a tenuous post-operative phase. In essence, the success and failure of the surgical, gynaecological, obstetrical, ophthalmological, dental, oncological, psychiatric and various medical cases are determined by the quality of nursing care services.
The Nigerian situation
Unfortunately in Nigeria, there are times when nurses, whose services are critical to patients’ treatment outcome, are not involved in patient care plan and management. Over here, the understanding of the public on who a nurse is so confusing because of the infiltration of the divine professional jurisdiction of nursing practices by quacks. The knowledge deficit is so massive that any female or anybody seen in white is called a nurse; thus, whatever misdemeanour coming from such a person is anchored on the image of the noble profession of nursing.
It is rather unfortunate however, that this lack of a deep understanding of the importance of the nursing profession and the resultant underrating of nurses is having adverse effects not only on healthcare systems but also on economies of the nation, continent and the world at large. There is no gainsaying that the nursing profession forms the pivot around which all other health professions revolve and as such is a determinant of the health care system in the society.
It has been recognised that the health system of any country is a reflection of how its nursing professionals are regarded and treated. The former ICN president aptly captures this in the following statement; “The wealth of our nations depends on the health of our populations, and the health of our populations depends on nursing” (Judith Shamian, Former ICN president, 2017).
What is nursing?
A classic definition of nursing has been given by Virginia Henderson, a distinguished American nurse educator and writer. She defined nursing as: “the art and science of caring, aimed at assisting the individual sick or well in the performance of those activities contributing to health or its recovery (or peaceful death) that he would have performed unaided if he has the strength, will or knowledge, and to do this in such a way as to help him gain independence, rapidly as possible.” She further stated that “this aspect of her work, this part of her functions, she initiates and controls; of this, she is master.”
The American Nurses’ Association defines nursing as the protection, promotion, and optimisation of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations.
The International Council of Nursing (ICN) while expatiating these two definitions stated as follows; “Nursing, as an integral part of the health care system, encompasses the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and care of physically ill, mentally ill, and disabled people of all ages, in all health care and other community settings. Within this broad spectrum of health care, the phenomena of particular concern to nurses are individual, family, and group “responses to actual or potential health problems” (ANA, 1980, P.9).
These human responses range broadly from health restoring reactions to an individual episode of illness, to the development of policy in promoting the long-term health of a population. The unique function of nurses in caring for individuals, sick or well, is to assess their responses to their health status and to assist them in the performance of those activities contributing to health or recovery or to dignified death that they would perform unaided if they had the necessary strength, will, or knowledge and to do this in such a way as to help them gain full of partial independence as rapidly as possible (Henderson, 1977, p.4).
Within the total health care environment, nurses share with other health professionals and those in other sectors of public service the functions of planning, implementation, and evaluation to ensure the adequacy of the health system for promoting health, preventing illness, and caring for ill and disabled people.
ICN summarised the essence of nursing in this definition: “Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings. Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education are also key nursing roles.”
Who is a nurse?
The nurse has been defined by the ICN as “a person who has completed a programme of basic, generalised nursing education and is authorised by the appropriate regulatory authority to practise nursing in his/her country.” It adds: “Basic nursing education is a formally recognised programme of study providing a broad and sound foundation in the behavioural, life, and nursing sciences for the general practice of nursing, for a leadership role, and for post-basic education for specialty or advanced nursing practice.”
According to the ICN, the nurse is prepared and authorised:
(1) to engage in the general scope of nursing practice, including the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and care of physically ill, mentally ill, and disabled people of all ages and in all health care and other community settings;
(2) to carry out health care teaching;
(3) to participate fully as a member of the health care team;
(4) to supervise and train nursing and health care auxiliaries; and
(5) to be involved in research. .
The above definitions obviously leave no doubt that the scope of nursing is not limited to the hospital or a clinical setting; it cuts across all facets of our society. It will interest the society at large to know that there are over 100 specialties in nursing – underscoring the fact that the nursing professional is a polyvalent entity who has a wide variety of functions in the healthcare system and the society at large.
Duties of the nurse
The functions of a professional nurse are multifaceted and can be categorised basically into three levels of competencies, namely: independent, interdependent and dependent roles. The independent roles are those ones that the nurse is able to perform without the supervision or assistance of anyone. And as Virginia Henderson stated in her definition, this aspect the nurse initiates, controls and is a master of.
The nurse has his or her professional jurisdiction especially in the nurses’ core competences wherein the nurse is trained, certified, and legally covered, recognised, registered and licensed to practise in and outside the country. These are the autonomous duties and responsibilities.
The interdependent roles of the nurse are those that he or she performs in collaboration with other professionals within and without the health profession. While a nurse needs the input of other healthcare professionals, these other professionals also need the input of nurses to be able to carry out their professional duties. The medical/surgical teams need information from firm/ward/ unit charge nurses about the patient to take an informed professional decision.
The nurse is trained to understand the importance of intersectoral/professional collaboration to the achievement and maintenance of good health and therefore works in conjunction with others in the pursuance of activities leading to health promotion and illness recovery
The third tier of the nurse’s functions comprises the dependent roles which are functions the nurse relies on other professionals to perform. This discussion will briefly consider a few of the polyvalent functions of the nurse the hospital/clinical setting and in the community setting.
As part of efforts to curtail the spread of Lassa fever, which has claimed over 100 lives, with 1,121 suspected cases since January, the Director General, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Professor Babatunde Salako, has disclosed that the institution is embarking on a collaborative research with other organisations to produce a roadmap on the epidemiology, treatment and possible prevention of the disease.
Prof. Salako who spoke to press men while announcing the accreditation of the institution’s Centre for Human Virology and Genomics (CHVG) as a World Health Organisation (WHO) prequalification evaluating laboratory, said the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole had directed the institute to embark on research to curtail the disease.
Director General, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Prof. Babatunde Salako and Deputy Director of Research, NIMR, Dr Rosemary Audu (MIddle) flanked by other directors of the institute, after the briefing
His words: “Recently we had an emergency national council meeting in Abuja, and the honourable minister directed that the institution should embark on research into the possible restraint of the disease. In doing so, we have put together what we called a symposium on Lassa fever research, in conjunction with the National Centre for Disease Control and Lassa Fever Centre, all in few months, to come out with a roadmap on the epidemiology, treatment and possible prevention of the disease”.
The NIMR boss, who was very optimistic about the institution’s efforts, however noted that without the availability of four bio-safety laboratories in the country, findings on the disease would be significantly limited.
Highlighting the implication of WHO’s accreditation of NIMR’s laboratory for Nigerians, Salako noted that the gesture would help to reduce misdiagnosis of diseases in the country, adding that the institute has got capacity to determine best rapid test kits for HIV, Hepatitis B, C and D, thus bringing about decrease in stigmatisation and poverty.
The import of the achievement, according to the DG, “is that the laboratory is now listed as a WHO Prequalification Evaluating Laboratory to perform evaluation of In Vitro Diagnostics either coordinated by WHO or commissioned by the manufacturers”.
The enlisting of the CHVG’s laboratory as a WHO prequalification evaluating laboratory has increased the total number of such laboratories in the world to ten. The nine others are located in Australia, Belgium, France, India, South Africa (two) Tanzania and United Kingdom (two) .
The Deputy Director of Research, NIMR, Dr Rosemary Audu, noted another merit of the achievement, which she said is decrease in medical tourism. She said the pre-qualification will drastically reduce the number of people travelling abroad for medical diagnosis, as they can rely on medical results from NIMR’s CHVG’s laboratory as authentic.
Dr Audu further attributed the attainment of the feat to the possession of a Gold Standard Technology by the institution, saying this global device places results achieved in the laboratory very close to what is obtained in other international laboratories.
“Due to the possession of the Gold Standard Technology in our laboratory, we have been able to characterise our blood samples, and this enabled us to have a pool of blood samples, which are banked with us. Thus when new kits arrive, we evaluate their qualities with our Gold Standard Technology, then verify if this rapid test kit can attain close to the value obtained by our technology.
“In addition to this, we are also enrolled with external quality assurance programmes, one of them is College of American Pathology, and we have Quality Control for Molecular Diagnostics (QCMD). They also send us panel for evaluation periodically, to compare our results with global standards”, she said.
With the recent unveiling of a comprehensive framework for curbing drug abuse by the Nigerian Senate, efforts to tame the increasingly rampant menace, especially amongst the youth, may have finally got the felicitous impetus that will help the nation win the war. The upper legislative chamber has particularly shown how serious it is in the intervention by passing the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Bill, a legislation with a template that can holistically address this worrying issue.
According to a statement from the Media Office of the Senate President, the intervention through the Bill will also entail having a legislative framework for operations of law enforcement and other agencies towards reduction in the supply of illicit substance abuse, and control of illicit psychoactive substances.
The statement also noted that sections of various legislations and policies that deal with Drug Control are being pooled together and harmonised into one Drug Control Bill to ensure there are clear mandates for the various law enforcement and regulatory agencies like NDLEA, NAFDAC and the Nigerian Police to enhance interagency cooperation.
It is indeed admirable that the Nigerian Senate is concerned about the worrisome issue of drug abuse and has decided to take steps to address it. It is also exemplary that the lawmakers are determined to address the lack of clarity in inter-agency cooperation, as well as the multiple areas of overlap, towards the common objective of safeguarding the health and well-being of Nigerians. This senate’s efforts must be applauded and supported by all Nigerians because it is a step in the right direction. In fact, this has been long overdue because if proactive measures to address this issue had been taken before now, the nation would not have been in the current quagmire. However, it is better late than never.
However, while we commend the Nigerian Senate for its decision to help confront substance abuse which has become a hydra-headed monster threatening to destroy the future of the nation, we must hasten to stress that the Senate’s intervention must urgently move from the realm of rhetoric and translate to clear national policies and strategies that can be implemented.
Substance abuse must be seen as a national emergency as reports have shown that even youngsters in secondary schools are getting addicted to all sorts of drugs. States in the northern part of the country have been prominently documented for this, but there could be worse cases elsewhere. Therefore, while it is imperative to have clear strategies as enunciated by the Senate, it must be emphasised that the nation does not have the luxury of time to dillydally, as more youths are embracing this dangerous trend daily.
We must stress that beyond the effect of substance abuse on the health of individuals ingesting the substance, it also has serious linkage with the spiraling incidences of crime, violence, insurgences and other social vices that are now common occurrences in the country. In fact, the nation may unwittingly be sitting on a keg of gunpowder if it does not promptly tackle this problem as the present effects of drug abuse are ominous signs of much more perilous vices that could and would occur if we fail to act and stop the practice.
The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) deserves commendation for its efforts in dealing with the challenge of drug abuse in the country. Indeed, the PCN and NAFDAC have big roles to play in implementing the National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDGs). Implementing the NDDG will go a long way in tracking the distribution of drugs in the country and consequently checkmate the distribution of ethical medicines that are abused.
The mass media and the social media must also be mobilised in the task of halting the spread of drug abuse. It is quite unfortunate that the dangerous habit is currently being glamourised with songs and slangs by some Nigerian musicians and celebrities who are supposed to be agents of change. That notwithstanding, the Nigerian government should counter this wrong notion by engaging prominent and respectable Nigerians and celebrities from all works of life in a massive national enlightenment campaign that will save millions of Nigerian youth from the perils of drug abuse. The time to start is now.
Worried by the alarming rate of infants and maternal mortality in the country, prominent obstetricians and gynaecologists have proffered insights into unravelling the perennial challenge, as they converged at the main auditorium of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) Yaba, Lagos, to deliberate on the subject and provided solutions to infants and maternal deaths in Nigeria.
The eminent gynaecologists and guests, who graced the formal presentation of the four books written by Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Aigbe Gregory Ohihoin of NIMR, were: Emeritus Prof. Osato Giwa-Osagie; Prof. Bomi Ogedengbe, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabanwo; Dr Oliver Ezechi; Dr Titi Gbajabiamila; Hon. Justice Y.O Idowu; Hon. Justice Funmilayo Atilade; Prof. Babatunde Salako, Director General, NIMR; and others.
According to Emeritus Prof. Osato Giwa-Osagie, one of the factors responsible for infants and maternal mortality is old wives tales, which have been passed down to younger women, and consequently prevent them from seeking care during pregnancy, until complications set in.
“In as much as we are taking time to address these myths, we want everyone to know that pregnancy is not a disease. If only pregnant women will take it serious, attend antenatal care; follow their doctors advices, nearly ninety-five percent of pregnancies will be delivered successfully without complications. However, it’s the remaining five percent nobody knows where they are.
“Unfortunately, most times, when some of these pregnant women who had initially neglected antenatal care are brought to the hospitals, it’s either the baby is dead or the mother is in a serious condition. This is why I recommend the book “What Mama didn’t tell you about pregnancy-the myth, the truth and the lie”, for every woman, who desires to carry her pregnancy to term successfully”, he remarked.
L-R: Dr Esther Ohihoin, wife to the author; Hon. Justice Funmilayo Atilade; Emeritus Prof. Osato Giwa-Osagie;, Dr Aigbe Gregory Ohihoin of NIMR, author; and Hon. Justice Y.O Idowu at the book launch.
Speaking with the author in an exclusive chat during the programme, he explained how a study conducted in the US, has shown that an average black pregnant woman is predisposed to more complications than her white counterpart.
“Even in the US, where they have access to the best healthcare facilities, they have access to the best doctors, and they are well educated with good socio-economic status, but the study found that the outcome of a black woman’s pregnancy will be worse than that of an average white woman with the same standard. And I discovered that black pregnant women will have more complications than their white counterparts”, he noted.
L-R:Emeritus Prof. Osato Giwa-Osagie; Prof. Babatunde Salako, Director General, NIMR; Mr Yunusa Zauza; and Dr Nkiruka Odunukwe, head, NCD Research Group, NIMR at the event.
Dr Ohihoin, who identified preeclampsia as one of the reasons for infants and maternal mortality, recommended earlier diagnosis of pregnancy and early antenatal registration as keys to overcoming this challenge.
“One of the reasons for this occurrence is hypertensive complications in pregnancy known as preeclampsia, and it runs in more aggressive force in black women. The implication is that black pregnant women should be given more attention than an average pregnant white woman, because she has a higher risk of pregnancy complications. Earlier diagnosis of pregnancy and earlier antenatal registration is the key to overcoming this challenge”, he revealed.
While giving his opening remarks, the NIMR DG, who was the chairman of the occasion, commended the author for his rigorous research into present and past literatures to churn out four books at once. Giving his appraisal on the books, he listed them as follows: Step by step approach to obstetrics & gynaecological ultrasonography; Bullet point answers to exam questions in obstetrics; Bullet point answers to exam questions in gynaecology and What Mama didn’t tell you about pregnancy-the myth, the truth and the lie.
Prof. Salako who described all the four books as great tools for health practitioners, said the “Step by step approach to obstetrics & gynaecological ultrasonography”, will be an indispensable book to expose practitioners on the field of ultrasonography to the nitty-gritty of the job, as the ultra scan is operative dependent.
Aside from building capacity for practitioners, he said the book will help a great deal in improving labour, while reducing the incidence of infant and maternal mortality in the country.
Regarding the books “Bullet point answers to exam questions in obstetrics and Bullet point answers to exam questions in gynaecology”, the NIMR boss said the author has put his experiences into book to assist residents and senior resident doctors, in achieving better results in their examinations.
For the book, “What Mama didn’t tell you about pregnancy-the myth, the truth and the lie”, he asserted that it is a wealth of tangible information for women of pregnancy age, and fathers in such situations.
The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria ACPN, Lagos State Chapter, has called on the Lagos State government, under the leadership of Governor Akinwumi Ambode, to critically re-evaluate the implementation of the proposed Lagos State Health Scheme in order to avoid booby traps that may derail the good intentions of the state government in its drive towards universal health coverage.
The immediate past chairman of the association, Pharm. (Mrs) Biola Paul-Ozieh, made the appeal during the association’s 2018 annual general meeting held in Lagos recently.
Pharm. (Mrs) Biola Paul-Ozieh, immediate past chairman Lagos ACPN, Pharm. Olabanji Benedict Obideyi, chairman, Lagos ACPN; and Pharm. Lawrence Ekhator, vice-chairman, at the event.
According to her, any health scheme or health insurance scheme that will deliberately overlook matters of professional role separation and inclusiveness, segregation of health facilities into primary, secondary and tertiary, as well as payment mechanism is bound to fail woefully just like the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The former ACPN chairman further noted that the unfortunate developments in the NHIS, including the recent management imbroglio, had made the scheme more or less moribund, saying it would require strong political will on the part of the federal government to revive it.
“In the case of the proposed Lagos State Health Scheme, the public that will be made to make monthly, quarterly and annual payments to the scheme should not be shortchanged through shoddy service provision and selective enrichment of certain group of stakeholders,” Paul-Ozieh said.
The outspoken former ACPN boss also called on the FG to, as a matter of urgency, reconstitute the board of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), which was dissolved over three years ago, saying each time boards of the council and other health professions are dissolved, there are setbacks to their operations.
She however commended the government for appointing a substantive director general for NAFDAC, in person of Prof. (Mrs) Moji Adeyeye, saying the association was confident that the agency would witness many positive developments that would reposition it for better service delivery in safeguarding the health of the nation and covering noticeable gaps in the achievement of the mandate of NAFDAC as a regulatory agency.
Also speaking at the event, Pharm. Deji Osinoiki, chairman, ACPN board of trustees, noted that the failure of the federal government to close all open drug markets in the country was responsible for the increasing rate of drug abuse in the country.
“If you look around, our society is now littered with issue of drug abuse and misuse, especially among our youth who are now fond of abusing drugs like Codeine, Tramadol and others. I have said this countless times that most of these drugs they abuse are like poisons, and when they take them, especially in excess, it causes serious health challenges to them or even lead to death. So, government should do something about this as it has become a menace to our society,” Osinoiki said.
The highpoint of the programme was the election of the new executives of the association. They include: Pharm. Olabanji Benedict Obideyi, chairman; Pharm. Lawrence Ekhator, vice-chairman; Pharm. Jonah Okotie, secretary; Pharm. Charles Oyeniyi, assistant secretary; Pharm. George Agbude, treasurer; Pharm. Obiageri Ethel Ikwu, financial secretary; Pharm. Mosunmola Dosunmu, public relations officer; and Pharm. Paul Owolabi, editor-in-chief.
A community pharmacy is a healthcare facility, under the legal supervision of a registered pharmacist that provides professional pharmacy services in a local community.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) affirms the community pharmacist as the health professional most accessible to the public (WHO, 1997). According to the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), the community pharmacist is an expert in pharmaceutical care, health promotion and pharmacotherapy. He is a professional communicator with patients, other healthcare professionals and decision makers. He delivers high quality products, services and communication. The community pharmacist equally documents his actions and communicates outcomes with professional colleagues (FIP, 2014).
Community pharmacists have also earned themselves the reputation of the most trusted healthcare professionals (APHA, 2009). These global reputations stem from the fact that community pharmacies are located close to where the people live, work and play, stay open for long hours and require no previous appointment bookings to see the pharmacist. However, operating and managing retail pharmacies in a developing economy like Nigeria is fraught with a myriad of challenges, from over-regulation, chaotic distribution channels and unpredictable policy environment, to hyper-competition and deficient public infrastructure. Yet, the activities of community pharmacies are so vital to the lives of the communities that they are classified as essential services by most governments. Most retail pharmacies provide not just essential, safe, quality and efficacious medicines but also sound professional services by the pharmacists.
In Nigeria, there are about 4500 retail pharmacies serving over 170 million citizens. This means almost 40,000 individuals being served by one community pharmacy. Moreover, in view of the poor economic indices with the attendant high prevalence of diseases, one could be tempted to assume that every community pharmacist would have his hands full with the sick in need of good health and that retail pharmacy business in Nigeria would easily flourish. However, this assumption has never found a place in the operations of many retail pharmacies in Nigeria.
Salient realities
Business success requires an entirely different set of dynamics. Studies have shown that many pharmacy graduates have an enormous array of technical skills but do not necessarily have the business skills to leverage them for competitive advantage and business success (Alston and Waitzman, 2013). The critical building blocks for a flourishing business are essentially the same across different sectors of human endeavor. These business practices are not usually part of the academic curricula of the conventional educational institutions. They are taught in a different kind of school, the school of the real world, the University of the Streets.
Business success happens on the streets. The best business modules from all the business schools in the world cannot guarantee business success till the time-tested principles are translated from paper to the real world. However, a consistent application of these principles will guarantee business success, always. This explains why many non-pharmacists in Nigeria have managed to contrive very successful pharmaceutical business empires while the real pharmacists only tend to hang onto the crumbs that occasionally fall from the tables of the masters. The present article addresses itself to some of these salient determinants of business success as taught in the University of the Streets.
Success secrets
Retail pharmacy business is not for all pharmacists
My dear pharmacist, the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) may have told you that your license to practice empowers you to run a retail pharmacy business. That is the truth, but not the whole truth. The PCN forgot to tell you that success in retail pharmacy business requires passion for community pharmacy, so strong that it drives you to take personal responsibility for doing whatever is necessary for the business to thrive.
If you cannot work for long hours, answer many ‘stupid’ questions from customers, listen patiently to endless complaints, manage relationships with staff, landlords, regulatory agencies, suppliers and still keep your personal and family life together, all at the same time, you may find retail pharmacy business a nightmare.
While pharmacists may retire into community practice from other practice settings such as hospital, industrial, academic, social and administrative pharmacy, it must be noted that our emphasis here is on full-time endeavour in retail pharmacy. So the first strategy for a flourishing retail pharmacy business is not about what you do. It is to think. Think to find if you have the mindset, the passion, the energy, the drive to play in the retail pharmacy field.
To vision, add passion.
Every retail pharmacy business should be founded on a vision by the business owner. This vision should be so clear and compelling it can be captured in words. It is called a vision statement. It encapsulates the reason for the pharmacy business. How this compelling reason is to be achieved should be articulated in a mission statement.
However, the pursuit of the vision and mission must be guided by a set of values. So the retail pharmacy should have on display (much like the pharmacist’s and premises licenses), a statement of the vision, mission and core values.
These are not mere clichés but driving forces and guiding lights. They must flow from the top. The ownership and management must so believe in these guiding lights that their passion exudes and infects the staff and even customers. This contagion in most cases gives birth to a mantra, a by-word that creates a positive culture and climate at the pharmacy. So we have a team made up of ownership, management and staff, chasing a common passion (not cash), having fun and making everybody happy.
The question is, what are the vision, mission and values of your retail pharmacy business?
To vision and passion, add a plan.
A detailed business plan is necessary for a successful retail pharmacy business. Even existing businesses need periodic plans in the form of annual budgets. These plans help assess performance and measure progress. Many pharmacists who managed to pass the course on pharmaceutical calculations during training are scared stiff in real life whenever the conversation gets to spreadsheets, profit and loss accounts, return on investments, balance sheets and cash flow analysis. Yet, cash remains the lifeblood of business and if the pharmacy business runs out of cash, it simply expires.
For the business to flourish, it may require the injection of ‘other peoples’ money ’. This may come from partners, equity investors, bank loans, venture capitalists, family and friends and so on. These investors will need to see the numbers in order to be convinced that the business is profitable.
Even if the funds come entirely from the savings of the business owner, it is important to have an understanding of financial analysis. How long will it take for the business to recover cost? How does the pharmacist know it’s time to expand? How many employees are ideal for the size of business? Which customer segments should the pharmacy focus on? How does the business owner separate family expenses from business spending? What level of savings is tolerable? Which suppliers should qualify for which categories of transactions, how does the business get out of debt, and what debt-equity ratio is tolerable before the business gets over-leveraged?
These are some of the questions that financial intelligence on the part of the pharmacist seeks to answer. While experts may be invited to guide the pharmacist, some basic rules may suffice: sales minus costs equals profit; savings culture always wins despite the level of practice; separating family and friends from business always helps; more employees should only be hired when current hands are so overloaded that they may snap if more workload is added.
So my dear pharmacist, get money-wise, get street-wise, do the math, and do it yourself.
“A moment’s insight is sometimes worth a life’s experience.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
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Pharm. Olabanji Benedict Obideyi is the new chairman of Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Lagos State Chapter. In this interview with Pharmanews, Obideyi discusses the circumstances leading to his emergence and his plans for the association. Excerpts:
Congratulations on your election as ACPN Lagos chairman. How do you feel about your emergence?
I would like to appreciate God who has made today a reality in my life and in ACPN-Lagos, because my emergence as chairman was an act of God.
What can you say about the controversy generated by your election?
There is nothing controversial about my emergence. In the first instance, I had served the association in different capacities for six years and, as they say, leadership usually evolves; it does not develop or spring up in one day. So I can boldly say that I have paid my dues and, based on my experience over the years, I am more than capable for the task.
As the vice chairman of the association for three years in the past administration, I worked closely with the former chairman, Pharm. Abiola Paul-Ozieh, and I have garnered the experience needed to get the job done. I believe all our members are behind me, so there is no need for panicking. We are on course to take the association to the next level.
Can you share with us your experience so far working with Lagos ACPN?
Just like I said earlier, I am not the type of chairman that will resume office and start studying the environment for years before doing anything. I have been in the system for some years, so all I need to do is to hit the ground running. I was the secretary of the association for three years under the leadership of Alh. Aminu, and I was also vice-chairman to Pharm. Paul-Ozieh for another three years. Those who know me know that I delivered my responsibility wish commitment and dedication. So, as the chairman, I have the experience and I am happy with the team I am about to work with.
Pharm. Olabanji Benedict Obideyi is the new chairman of Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Lagos State Chapter
What can you say about your ex-boss, the outgoing chairman?
Pharm. Abiola Paul-Ozieh is a woman I respect a lot. She has really worked very well and built many bridges. All we need to do is to build on some of the things she started and also start some other things she was unable to do.
The job of serving ACPN, either as chairman or any other position is a matter of sacrifice because nobody pays you for doing it. We have resolved to make this sacrifice, and we hope that God will pay us back because it is not easy combining one’s practice with running of the association.
Are there things you plan to start doing differently now as the chairman?
Continuity is actually of essence. Notwithstanding, there are certain things that we have identified and that we intend to start doing differently in this administration. I know some certain issues that the outgoing chairman would have loved to tackle if she had more time and I also know some that are very important to the progress of the association, and we have resolved to leave no stone unturned in our quest to take the association to another level.
The issue of pharmacy emblem, otherwise called the Green Cross sign, has to be looked into with the intention of doing something drastic about it. The emblem is a patented signage of the PSN and has been given to the ACPN to manage. So it is important that all retail pharmaceutical premises hoist one, and a genuine one for that matter.
We also have other plans in the pipeline, one of which is the upgrade of our secretariat. And we are hopeful that we shall get there.
How do you intend to tackle the issue of drug abuse that seems to be getting worse in our society?
As you are aware, ACPN-Lagos recently launched a banner, tagged “War Against Drug Abuse”, and will henceforth be displayed by all our members. We have resolved to intensify campaign against this menace because we have discovered that we need a lot of awareness and sensitisation to reduce the challenge. We are planning to engage the media, both print and electronic, and even the social media to get the information to all and sundry, so that the public will know the danger in drug abuse.
We have also resolved to step up our Pharmaceutical Inspection Committee (PIC) and Taskforce activities, so that charlatans are prevented from stocking prescribed products, because we have discovered that most of the charlatans are the ones selling regulated drugs to people. Every Tom, Dick and Harry now has access to products like Codeine, Tramadol and others because they are easily accessible from these charlatans.
What is your message to ACPN members across the state?
I want to appreciate the confidence and trust they had in us before the AGM, and I want to assure them that we will not disappoint them. We will work assiduously to ensure that the flag of the association continues flying higher and also ensure that their interest takes the mainstream of our decision-making.
I also want to appeal to those who have one grievance or the other towards this administration to sheath their swords and join us to move this association to the next level. In addition, if there is anyone that is not pleased with any of our decisions, our doors will be open – they should feel free to say their minds so that we can make amends, rather than taking to maligning people’s character on social media or instigating people against the administration.
Also, while we are not averse to criticism, it has to be a constructive one, devoid of maligning people’s name, so that the association can move higher.
No matter how talented you may be, you need persistence to maximise the use of the talent. Persistence is doing something despite difficulty. You need tenacity, determination or staying power to achieve any form of success. Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realise how close they were to success when they gave up.” You must carry on despite challenges, opposition or even failure. This is what makes you a champion or winner and a person of influence. A winner never quits and a quitter never wins. But you are born to be a winner. Lou Holtz said, “You aren’t going to find anybody that’s going to be successful without making a sacrifice and without perseverance.”
Perseverance brings you to the conclusion of your project or aspiration. Apostle Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful” (2 Timothy 4:7). Persevere to cross the finish line and win your prize. When God gives an assignment, it usually takes longer than imagined. You come across some problems you never anticipated but God equips and gives you the strength and grace to overcome them. You must, therefore, focus on the completion of your task. If you are actually obeying and doing the will of God, you must finish your work. In John 4:34, Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” I love what Jesus said when he had successfully completed His work. He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
Some people do not realise that as God gave Jesus work to do and to finish it, He has also given all of us something to do and finish. Right from birth, all the talents and abilities to accomplish your life assignment have been released to you. It is left for you to know what to do and then apply the God-given resources to accomplish it.
You need to develop persistence with little tasks. When you have a little work before you, put all your might into it to complete it. Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might… “It says, “Whatever.” That means that even little tasks must be handled with diligence, determination and perseverance. Don’t allow fatigue or distraction to stop you from completing your task. Don’t misplace your priority. Determine to stop the work only when it is finished.
Don’t accumulate abandoned projects. They are results of wrong planning and execution. If you form the habit of focusing on small tasks with all your strength, intellect, spirit, and emotion, you will succeed with big tasks. But if you fail in small tasks, how can you succeed in big tasks? Luke 25:14-30 has the parable of the talents. The servants who handled their master’s business profitably were given more talents to trade with but the servant who could not manage the little one given to him was punished and even the little he had was withdrawn.
If you desire to be successful and make maximum use of your talent, you must not be complacent. Complacency will prevent you from striving. The day you start thinking in your heart that you have arrived, that is the day you start declining. In your business, your competitors will start overtaking you. Don’t take success as a destination but a process, a journey. You must keep on succeeding to be a success. It may be necessary to take a break but that break should be to gather momentum for the long marathon race.
Complacency is a great enemy of success. To avoid this, don’t dwell on past successes but focus on the height to reach. Complacency may harbour the spirit of pride. The moment you start beating your chest to demonstrate how wonderfully you have performed, you are in danger of appropriating the glory that belongs to God. Watch it before your wall of defence starts cracking. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Vision of the big picture will nourish perseverance. The vision of where you want to be and what you want to achieve will create the desire and resilience in you. Misuse or even abuse of your God-given talent is an evidence of lack of the knowledge of who you are and God’s purpose for your life. Ignorance of this will make you not fulfil your destiny.
For the question above, ONE or MORE of the
responses is (are) correct. Decide which of the responses is
(are) correct. Then choose:
A ❏ if 1, 2 and 3 are correct
B ❏ if 1 and 2 only are correct
C ❏ if 2 and 3 only are correct
D ❏ if 1 only is correct
E ❏ if 3 only is correct
1 ❏ swollen lymph glands in the neck
2 ❏ butterfly distribution of a rash over the nose and cheeks
3 ❏ a scaly rash with mild erythema affecting the forehead and
eyebrows
ONE or MORE of the
responses is (are) correct. Decide which of the responses is
(are) correct. Then choose:
A ❏ if 1, 2 and 3 are correct
B ❏ if 1 and 2 only are correct
C ❏ if 2 and 3 only are correct
D ❏ if 1 only is correct
E ❏ if 3 only is correct
In appreciation of his hard work, integrity and successful reconciliation of aggrieved members, Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, president of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has been described as a matchless bridge-builder.
This much was said by Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director, Pharmanews Limited during a courtesy visit by the leadership of the Society to the office of the media house in Lagos on 14 March 2018.
L-R: Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director of Pharmanews Limited, in warm embrace with Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, president of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) while Pharm. Emeka Duru, national secretary, PSN, looks on.
Atueyi, expressed his admiration for Pharm. Yakasai, for his sheer commitment to the cause of pharmacy and pharmacists in the country.
His concern for the elders of the profession was demonstrated two years ago when he granted free hotel accommodation to elders aged 75 years and above attending the PSN conferences. This caused the elders to be praying for him.
The Pharmanews boss also cited other instances where the PSN president has shown quality leadership traits, some of which included his reconciliatory moves that had seen aggrieved bodies close ranks and drop litigation cases against the Society.
L-R: Lady Joan Atueyi, wife of the publisher, presenting an award of excellence to Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, president, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) while Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director of Pharmanews Limited looks on.
Beyond that, Atueyi recalled that Pharm. Yakasai has successfully resolved the protracted difference between doctors and other healthcare practitioners by consistently preaching inter-professional collaboration.
“In fact, I was fortunate to be nominated by him to chair one of such inter-professional collaboration committees last year. He has also done well by restoring peace among warring pharmacists in Anambra (my State) PSN at a period when the branch was seriously disillusioned.
“That is why I call him a bridge-builder and non-tribalistic personality. Whether you are Igbo, Yourba or Hausa, he does not want to know.
L-R: Prof. Bolanle Aina, dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos; Pharm. Emeka Duru, national secretary, PSN; Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, president of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN); Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director of Pharmanews Limited, his wife, Lady Joan Atueyi and Dr Arinola Joda, national publicity secretary, PSN.
Sir Atueyi who has attended PSN national conferences without interruption for 44 years from 1973 to 2017, remarked that Yakasai was the second president to visit Pharmanews Ltd, the first being Pharm. Yaro Budah in September 2001.
The coincidence is that the personalities are the only two Northerners so far to serve as PSN Presidents.
Yusuff Moshood, editor of Pharmanews Limited seemed to be in agreement when he revealed that many critics sometimes questioned his editorial judgment on why Yakasai keeps making the front page of the publication.
Pharmanews management and PSN delegation during the presentation of commendation certificate to Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi.
“It is not a deliberate attempt. In this line of business (news reportage), personalities make the news. The truth remains that Yakasai is somebody that is always seen making things happen and you cannot ignore such character.
“I must not also fail to mention that ever since I joined Pharmanews, I have never seen a PSN president who has made so much news like Yakasai. I am not making this up simply because he is in our midst,” he stressed.
Presenting a certificate of commendation to Pharmanews, the PSN boss applauded the entire media team for showing commitment and dedication to their job.
A cross-section of both Pharmanews staff and PSN delegation.
“Aside your boss, I have been privileged to come across Pharmanews reporters. Whether it is health or pharmaceutical event, you are always there and timely too.
“At a point, many people think all your reporters are pharmacists because of their in-depth analyses and active participation at such event,” he remarked.
The highlight of the courtesy visit featured a presentation of award to Yakasai by Lady Joan Atueyi, wife of the publisher for his unflinching support to the media house.
As Nigerians join the rest of the world to mark this year “World Glaucoma Week” usually celebrated on the second week of March annually, to create awareness on the disease and offer eye screening to members of the public. An ophthalmologist has advised Nigerians to go for eye check regularly, to protect them against blindness from glaucoma, stating that early detection is key.
Speaking with newsmen at a press conference organised by MeCure Healthcare Limited, Lagos, to mark this year World Glaucoma Day, themed: “Green = Go get your eyes tested for Glaucoma: Save Your Sight”, Dr Adegboyega Alabi, a consultant ophthalmologist and chief operating officer, Me Cure Eye Centre, said a lot of people, in spite of growing awareness on glaucoma, do not have their eyes checked regularly.
Dr Adegboyega Alabi , a consultant ophthalmologist and chief operating officer, Me Cure Eye Centre
According to him, glaucoma is a disease that aects the nerve that is in the eyes and this nerve is the optic nerve. The nerves is what connects the eye to the brain and whatever the eye sees that message is taken by this optic nerve to the brain for us to see. But when this optic nerve is diseased, then one is said to have that disease called glaucoma.
“Glaucoma is a serious eye disease and if it’s left untreated, it leads to gradual worsening of vision or blindness. Once incurred, the visual damage is mostly irreversible, and this has led to glaucoma being described as the “thief of sight”, so early detection is essential to limiting visual impairment and preventing the progression towards complete blindness,” he advised
The ophthalmologist, however, pointed out some factors that can predispose people to glaucoma, saying if one has a family history of glaucoma, particularly, first degree relatives such as father, mother or relatives, the person will likely have it. He further disclosed that an individual is also likely to have it, if he is above 40, with high pressure on the eye, especially if he is an African.
While disclosing that over 200 million people globally are suffering from visual impairment of which glaucoma contributes about 41 million, the expert however urged the Nigerian government to take steps to halt the increasing incidence of glaucoma amongst the citizens and as well help in reducing the cost of medications for treating glaucoma and other related eye diseases, noting that cost of treatment for glaucoma is quite high especially for the aged who are often most affected by the disease.
However, population studies in Nigeria recently revealed that 5.02-6.9 per cent (1.8million) of people over 40 years suffer from glaucoma with almost 360,000(20 per cent) of them blind in both eyes.
Also speaking, Dr. Martins Nwabuzor, an optometric and outreach coordinator, Mecure Diagnostics Centre, noted that the most challenging eye diseases for both doctors and patients in most parts of the world is glaucoma, saying it’s the leading cause of irreversible blindness against which an immediate action is imperative and has no symptoms at the initial stages.
According to him, it is against the background that Me Cure Diagnostic Centre is organising a three-day free eye screening for the public to create awareness on Glaucoma and also to celebrate the2018 edition of World Glaucoma Week, adding that the aim of the free screening is to help reduce the occurrence of the disease among Nigerians.
Nwabuzor, however, advised Nigerians to go for the regular eye check, saying with adequate awareness about glaucoma, the sight of more people could be saved and the prevalence of glaucoma could be reduced.
