The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria ACPN, Lagos State Chapter has called on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency reconstitute the board of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), which was dissolved over a year ago, saying each time boards of the council and other health professions are dissolved, there are setbacks to the operation of the respective council.
The chairman of the association, Pharm. (Mrs.) Biola Paul-Ozieh, made the appeal during the association’s 2017 annual general meeting in Lagos recently.
According to her, the profession has suffered a lot within the space of 18 months or thereabout that the board had been deprived of performing its necessary oversight functions for the profession.
The chairman however urged the community pharmacists in the state to be responsible and be ready to stand up for the profession at all time, adding that if they fail to stand for something that will enhance pharmaceutical care, improve health outcomes in Nigeria and add value health wise to the Nigerian people, they are certainly going to fall for everything and anything.
Cross section of participants at the event
“In the words of Howard Hendricks, a belief is something you argue about; but a conviction is what you die for, so as professionals, what are we ready to argue about and what are we ready to die for?. In those days to come, our professional conviction will be on trial and the earlier we develop a strong sense of purpose, commitment, and values, the better for the posterity of the pharmacy profession.”
A major high point of the programme was the re-election of the executive members of the association for the next one year.
Other members of the re-elected executives are Pharm. Olabanji Benedict Obideyi, vice chairman; Pharm. Lawrence Ekhator, secretary; Pharm. Moyosore Michael Ademola, assistant secretary; Pharm. Ismail Kola Sunmonu, treasurer; Pharm. Ambrose Sunday Ezeh, financial secretary; Pharm. Obiageri Ethel Ikwu, public relations officer; and Pharm. Timehin Ogungbe, editor-in-chief.
Until recently, colorectal cancer also known as bowel cancer was known as a common disease of the elderly, but findings by members of the American Cancer Society, have indicated four times increase in the risk of the condition among adolescents than the elderly.
The scientists, who attributed the sudden surge of the disease among the youths to diets high in red or processed meats, like bacon and sausages, alcohol intake and low fiber as major predisposing factors to the increment in the risk of the disease.
While earlier researchers have identified unhealthy diets, lack of exercise, and snacking on fast food, chocolate, cakes and soda as risks to the condition.
The study, which was featured on Daily Mail UK Online but initially published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, noted that the number of cases is rising in young and middle aged adults, including people in their early 50s, with rectal cancer rates increasing particularly fast.
According to one of the team members, as Dr Rebecca Siegel, an epidemiologist of the American Cancer Society, ‘Trends in young people are a bellwether for the future disease burden.
‘Our finding that colorectal (bowel) cancer risk for millennial has escalated back to the level of those born in the late 1800s is very sobering.
‘Educational campaigns are needed to alert clinicians and the general public about this increase to help reduce delays in diagnosis, which are so prevalent in young people, but also to encourage healthier eating and more active lifestyles to try to reverse this trend.'
The research shows looming danger of an impending epidemic of digestive diseases among youth, while it also alerted on the need to start screening people in their early 20s, rather than in their 60s.
A new study, conducted at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre in Dallas, has found that heart failure was responsible for one in nine deaths, warning on the growing risks of heart failure across the globe.
The research, which was carried out by Dr. Jarett D. Berry, associate professor in the department of internal medicine and clinical sciences, aimed to investigate the influence of common risk factors of heart failure among Americans.
Having collated data from 51,541 participants, the researchers published their results in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, and also published on Medical News Today.
Their result identified high BMI and reduced physical activity as known risk factors for heart failure, adding that both limit the function of the heart in pumping enough blood to meet the body's oxygen demands, thus leads to heart failure – a chronic and progressive condition.
According to the Lead Author, Dr Berry, there are a number of subtypes of heart failure, one of which is called heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). This form of the condition is characterized by a stiffening of the left ventricle and a reduction in its ability to relax between contractions.
He further stated that the stiffening associated with HFpEF means that the ventricle is unable to fill with an adequate amount of blood, and it therefore pumps less oxygen-rich blood around the body.
Berry also noted that lifestyle factors are known to increase the risk of heart failure, including lower levels of physical activity and a higher BMI. Because HFpEF accounts for roughly half of all heart failure cases and typically responds less well to current therapies, there is an important emphasis on prevention.
The import of this discovery is for Nigerians to reduce their risks of heart failure by ensuring they have healthy BMI, live healthy lifestyle and engage in regular physical activity.
“Getting enough sleep is a key component of overall health and can impact the heart, mind and weight. It's important to learn what is keeping people from getting the rest they need so we can help them work toward better health”, said Kelly Sullivan, Ph.D.
Although parents of young children suffer sleep deprivation, a new study published on Medical News Today has confirmed that mothers are more affected by this development than fathers, as it was found that mothers living with children experience 14 percent sleep deficiency.
The researchers from the Georgia Southern University, who asserted that the condition will predispose women to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and depression; are due to present their findings at the American Academy of Neurology's 69th Annual Meeting in Boston, MA, in April.
Collating data from 5,800 adults, the team found that having children in the house significantly reduced the number of hours mothers slept each night, while fathers' sleep remained unaffected.
The researchers believe their study helps shed light on what contributes to sleep deprivation, paving the way for new strategies to help people get a good night's sleep.
Study co-author Kelly Sullivan, Ph.D., of Georgia Southern University, and colleagues noted that the National Sleep Foundation holds that adults should aim to get around 7-9 hours of sleep each night, but more than 35 percent fail to meet these recommendations.
For their study, Sullivan and colleagues analyzed data from a telephone survey of 5,805 men and women aged 45 and under from across the United States.
Compared with women who did not have children in their household, the team found that women who did have children were 14 percent less likely to report getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night.
Nurses under the aegis of University Graduates of Nursing Science Association (UGONSA) have called for unity among Nigerians in this trying period when the father of the country is off-color.
In a statement jointly signed by the National President, Chief (Hon.) S.E.O. Egwuenu, and the National Secretary, Nur. G.I. Nshi, the association said: “in families when the father is constrained by health challenges other members unite to keep the family moving”.
“Good enough, our president, being a man that has the interest of the country at heart, properly handed over to his second in command, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, before leaving the Country.
Our obligations as members of this big family, Nigeria, at this material time is to show strong support for our father, President Muhammadu Buhari and our elder brother, Prof. Osibanjo, who is acting on his behalf.
“Our support should be unalloyed, be it morally, physically, socially or spiritually and should reflect in our demeanours and utterances.
The association equally used the opportunity to sue for fixing of the health system of the Country.
“It is awful that despite parading highly endowed healthcare providers, our political leaders do not patronize our healthcare system because nobody wants to fix its structural deficits.
“It is disheartening, to say the least, to perennially see our leaders jet out in droves in search of foreign healthcare that was fixed by other leaders.
“It is high time our leaders learnt from the likes of Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Fidel Castro of Cuba who fixed their country’s health system and were nursed to longevity till death by the same system, without junketing around for medical tourism.
“We hope that our dear President is taking note of what makes the British Health System better than ours and as he returns ‘hale and hearty’ to the country, would summon the political will to fix our own system, make it work and save the country from further “medical tourism” embarrassment- the Nurses said.
As UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom meets children and families affected by Boko Haram violence on Niger trip
Orlando Bloom speaks with Eta, 12, Bosso, Niger, 19 February 2017. Two years ago Boko Haram forced into her family home and lined them up in the courtyard, looking for her father and threatening to kill everyone if they didn’t give him up. They fled
Almost 1.4 million children are at imminent risk of death from severe acute malnutrition this year, as famine looms in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen, UNICEF said today.
“Time is running out for more than a million children,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake. “We can still save many lives. The severe malnutrition and looming famine are largely man-made. Our common humanity demands faster action. We must not repeat the tragedy of the 2011 famine in the Horn of Africa.”
In northeast Nigeria, the number of children with severe acute malnutrition is expected to reach 450,000 this year in the conflict-affected states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobi. Fews Net, the famine early warning system that monitors food insecurity, said late last year that famine likely occurred in some previously inaccessible areas of Borno states, and that it is likely ongoing, and will continue, in other areas which remain beyond humanitarian reach.
In Somalia, drought conditions are threatening an already fragile population battered by decades of conflict. Almost half the population, or 6.2 million people, are facing acute food insecurity and in need of humanitarian assistance. Some 185,000 children are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year, however this figure is expected to rise to 270,000 in the next few months.
In South Sudan, a country reeling from conflict, poverty and insecurity, over 270,000 children are severely malnourished. Famine has just recently been declared in parts of Unity State in the northern central part of the country, where 20,000 children live. The total number of food insecure people across the country is expected to rise from 4.9 million to 5.5 million at the height of the lean season in July if nothing is done to curb the severity and spread of the food crisis.
And in Yemen, where a conflict has been raging for the past two years, 462,000 children are currently suffering from severe acute malnutrition – a nearly 200 per cent increase since 2014.
This year, UNICEF is working with partners to provide therapeutic treatment to 220,000 severely malnourished children in Nigeria, over 200,000 severely malnourished children in South Sudan, more than 200,000 severely malnourished children in Somalia, and 320,000 children in Yemen.
Also in the news this week, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom travelled to Diffa, south-east Niger, to highlight the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad Basin where Boko Haram violence has caused huge population displacements. Hundreds of thousands of children across the region have been forced from their homes, are out of education and at risk of malnutrition.
In areas affected by the violence in Niger, Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon, 2.3 million people are now displaced, making this one of the fastest growing displacement crises in Africa. The Diffa region currently hosts over 240,000 internally displaced persons, refugees and returnees – including 160,000 children.
“As a father, it is hard for me to imagine how many of these children are caught up in this conflict. During my trip I have heard dreadful stories about children fleeing on foot, leaving everything behind, including the safety of their homes and classrooms,” said Bloom, who first travelled to see UNICEF’s work in 2007.
Bloom met with children such as 14-year-old Amada Goni who has been living with his family in Garin Wazam, a camp for displaced persons. When the crisis began, many of Amada’s friends joined Boko Haram, some voluntarily, others not. He opened up to Bloom about the terrible nightmares he has and how he still doesn’t feel safe since his village was attacked eight months ago. Amada now goes to the UNICEF-supported psychosocial support unit every day where he gets help to deal with the trauma he faced and where he has met new friends.
“When I go there to play, I feel good, I feel relieved, I feel much better. It helps with the nightmares,” he told Bloom.
“It is extremely hard to comprehend this situation when you are not there. I saw the depth of the pain and suffering these kids are going through. This is not something any child should experience,” said Bloom. “However it was amazing to witness the smile on Amada’s face as he played basketball with his friends. This is the result of UNICEF’s work.”
“So many children in Niger and across the Lake Chad region have been uprooted by this crisis,” said Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa. “They have suffered unimaginable violence and abuse, they have lost their families, their homes and missed out on years of education. What these children need most is an end to the violence, and until that is possible, we must do all we can to support them in rebuilding their lives.”
During his time in Niger, Bloom also visited Bosso on the border of Nigeria where he met 13-year-old Eta, who fled with her family when her house was burned by Boko Haram. Now attending a temporary school opened by UNICEF, she dreams of becoming a doctor, working for the well-being of her community.
“This visit has been extremely moving. Every single child I met is affected by this conflict and in desperate need of basic services such as clean water, psychological care and education to help them recover from the atrocities they have suffered and witnessed. They deserve a childhood,” said Bloom.
UNICEF and its partners in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger have increased the level of assistance to thousands of families in the region, with access to safe water, education, counselling and psychosocial support, as well as vaccines and treatment for malnutrition. However, a shortage of funding and difficult access due to insecurity have hindered the delivery of humanitarian assistance to thousands of children in need.
Health care has evolved greatly over the past 20 years. Our knowledge of diseases and technological innovations have all contributed to improving life expectancy during the 20th Century. But one of the greatest challenges today is not about keeping up with the latest clinical procedures or the latest high-tech equipment. Instead, it is about delivering safer care in complex, pressurized and fast-moving environments. In such environments, things can often go wrong. Adverse events occur. Unintentional, but serious harm comes to patients during routine clinical practice, or as a result of a clinical decision.
Many countries in the world have already recognized that patient safety is important and are building ways and approaches to improve the quality and safety of care. They have also recognized the importance of educating health-care professionals on the principles and concepts of patient safety. Strengthening such competencies is needed in order to keep pace with the complexities of the system and the demands of workforce requirements.
Rova College in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, its agencies and development partners organize an annual two-days strategic meeting between healthcare leaders, key stakeholders, policy makers & investors. It is designed to close strategic vacuums in healthcare through leadership and management development. It is a transformational platform for innovative ideas, corporate advocacy and trends that shape and drive change in the fast changing world of healthcare.
Venue: Nicon Luxury Hotels, Abuja
Date: 9th – 10th May, 2017
Time: 8:30am – 6:00pm
Conference Fees: N65,000 per participant
The Conference Objectives
To create a platform for collective high level advocacy which will serve as a catalyst towards improving Patient safety at all levels of care in Nigeria.
To strengthen national focus on Patient safety at the policy making and care delivery levels in support of the implementation of WHO initiatives on Patient Safety.
Support the emerging drive for National Patient safety policy.
Improve organizational Patient safety culture through leadership and management development.
Inspire new strategies and coordinated actions on patient safety in Nigeria.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact the program coordinator on: +234-805-608-1259, 808-750-4372.
Email: patientsafety.nigeria@gmail.com or rova_healthmgt@yahoo.com
More than 300 million people of all ages suffer from depression, which is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
WHO, in a global estimate published yesterday noted that at its worst, depression can lead to suicide and close to 800 000 people die due to suicide every year, which is the second leading cause of death in 15 to 29-year-olds.
The body said that although there are known, effective treatments for depression, fewer than half of those affected in the world (in many countries, fewer than 10 per cent) receive such treatments.
It noted that barriers to effective care include a lack of resources, lack of trained health-care providers, social stigma associated with mental disorders, and inaccurate assessment.
According to the WHO, in countries of all income levels, people who are depressed are often not correctly diagnosed, and others who do not have the disorder are too often misdiagnosed and prescribed antidepressants.
Indeed, the burden of depression and other mental health conditions are on the rise globally. A World Health Assembly resolution passed in May 2013 has called for a comprehensive, coordinated response to mental disorders at country level.
Neurologists across the country have decried the increasing prevalence of stroke in Nigeria, warning that if there is no urgent strategic plan by government and private institutions to halt the progression, it is likely to worsen over the next decade, based on the projections by the World Health Organization (WHO) for lower and middle income countries.
The experts who came from different teaching hospitals in the country, while sharing their different clinical experiences on the treatment of stroke patients, agreed with the WHO prediction, which stated that stroke incidence decreased by 42 per cent in high-income countries in the last four and half decades, while it increased by 100 per cent in lower income countries, where Nigeria belongs.
Desirous to get better and new methods of treating and managing stroke cases, to enhance reduction in mortality and acquired disability, the neurologists converged at the launch of NeuroAiD, a new drug produced by Moleac and marketed by Bolar Pharmaceutical in Nigeria, for quick recovery from stroke.
The NeuroAiD launch, held at the Best Western Hostel Plus, Allen Avenue, Ikeja, on 22 February 2017, was chaired by Professor Yomi Ogun, a professor of Internal Medicine/ Neurology and consultant physician / neurologist at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OACHS).
Feeding on fruits and vegetables has got a lot of health benefits for the human system. Although some heavy consumers might regard them less, due to their inability to fill the stomach like other food items, but that has not reduced their potency in anyway.
A new research published in Thorax has found that eating greater quantities of fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of developing lung disease in humans.
The findings published on Medical News Today stated that the consumption of green leafy vegetables and fruits can lower the risk of developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in former and current smokers.
Some earlier studies have found that dietary factors might play a role in COPD. To delve into this question in more detail, a group of researchers tracked the respiratory health of more than 44,000 Swedish men. Aged 45-79 at the start of the trial, the participants were followed for an average of 13.2 years, up to the end of 2012.
Each participant completed a food frequency questionnaire that collated how often they ate 96 different food items in 1997, the first year of the study. Other factors were also collected, including height, weight, education level, physical activity, and alcohol consumption.
The findings revealed that for those eating five portions per day, the equivalent numbers were 546 and 255, respectively. This means that individuals eating five daily servings of fruits and vegetables had a 35 percent reduced risk of developing COPD compared with those eating two or less portions. When the reduction in risk was split into current and former smokers, the percentages were 40 percent and 34 percent, respectively.
For instance, increasing their consumption helps reduce cardiovascular risk, maintain a healthy blood pressure, and stave off cancer, to name but a few.
Worried by the significant health burden posed by meningococcal and pneumococcal diseases globally, medical experts in Nigeria have called for early diagnosis and vaccination in paediatrics and adults, in order to reduce the morbidity and mortality rate attributable to these diseases.
The adept medical practitioners, who spoke at the Pfizer’s West African Vaccine Summit 2017, said it is unacceptable to be losing a large percentage of the Nigerian population to preventable diseases like meningitis and pneumonia, with the availability of effective vaccines to prevent the attacks.
Delivering a paper titled: “Expanded age BOD pneumococcal /PCV 13 expanded indication”, Dr Osi-Ogbu Ogugua, chief consultant and head of Geriatric/Endocrinology unit at the National Hospital Abuja, identified chronic liver disease and chronic kidney disease, predisposing factors to invasive pneumococcal disease.
While attributing 60 per cent of childhood death to pneumococcal disease, she mentioned measles as a predisposing factor to the disease in paediatrics, stating that under 5 children and the aged are at higher risk of the disease.
Still on pneumococcal disease, Dr Adejomoke I. Ayede, a senior lecturer in the department of paediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, disclosed the mortality rate of pneumonia in Nigeria as at 2008 to be 177,000, lamenting the paucity of current data.
She also described meningococcal disease as a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide with reported epidemics and outbreaks in different parts of the world. Despite the availability of antimicrobial therapy, challenges remain in early recognition and prevention of disease. Several vaccines have been developed to date aiming at the prevention of the disease.
Going forward, Ayede recommended the use of PCV 13, Prevenar 13 and Nimenrix – as tested and proven vaccines for the prevention of broadest serotype pneumococcal disease and meningococcal disease respectively. Aside the use of vaccines for prevention, she did mentioned adequate nutrition, proper hygiene, a sound immune system, keeping the body warm in cold weather, and micro supplements as other preventive methods against the diseases.
Fielding questions from press men, Professor of Medicine, from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State Nigeria, Gregory Erhabor, explained the essence of the summit, saying it is imperative for stakeholders to improve their knowledge on service delivery in order to have the best patients outcome.
He said Pfizer Nigeria has deemed it fit to update healthcare practitioners on the latest trend in the management of preventable diseases, in order for them to compete favourably with their counterparts in other parts of the world, and to have a formidable healthcare team in the country.
Director of Corporate Affairs, Pfizer NEAR, Mrs Margret Olele explained the efforts of Pfizer in combating meningitis and pneumonia in Nigeria, especially for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). She stated that they have made their products highly affordable for these set of persons, by giving them more than 60 percent price slash, and which will not be increased until ten years time.
In recognition of her outstanding commitment and unwavering performance to quality and excellence, in healthcare delivery, the Business Initiative Directors (BID) International has honoured the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), with the award of World Quality Commitment.
The award, which was conferred on the tertiary hospital by BID Geneva, was the third in three years, as BID England and BID Paris International Quality Control IQC had earlier given the award to the hospital in November 2014 and 2015 respectively.
Receiving the award on behalf of management and the entire staff of the hospital, the Chief Medical Director, Professor Wale Oke, wholeheartedly appreciated BID, the organizer of WQC award, for the choice of LASUTH for the prestigious award, assuring them that LASUTH will continue to uphold quality through best practice.
According to the report published on www.lasuth.org.ng, the existence of LASUTH Quality Assurance Department necessitated the establishment of a standard with continuous surveillance and monitoring in all the departments of the hospital to ensure best practice is in place.
It further explained that “LASUTH quality policy is to encourage process excellence and operational effectiveness in every department and unit through the implementation of standard operating procedures and key performance indicators”.
9th Law:The more you ask and listen, the more you sell
If you are not moving closer to what you want in sales [or in life], you probably aren’t doing enough asking. – Jack Canfield
A story was told about an outrageous insurance policy purchase by Henry Ford. The story got the attention of a close friend of Mr Ford who was noticeably upset because he was in the insurance business. Mr Ford’s friend went to him and asked why he had not bought the policy from him. Henry Ford’s exceptional answer is an eye opener to every salesman. He said, ‘‘You didn’t ask me.’’ In sales, you must ask for the order. You must take the right actions. You don’t assume – you initiate actions and create the things you want to see.
Two great skills
Two of the greatest skills to acquire in communication are: ability to listen and ability to ask questions. If you can develop the skill to ask the right questions at the right time, and the patience to listen attentively in order to get the right answers, then success is near to you.
In the sales world, asking and listening bring out the hidden treasures in the prospect. When you ask the right questions, and listen as if you are paid to just listen to the prospect – unsaid things that will lead to the closing would be made known to you.
Listen to be informed and be guided properly. The man who listens during conversation hears the unsaid. Effective listening is when you are able to hear what is said and what is not said. Sometimes, the most important part of the communication is not voiced. You need to decode it yourself during the process and you do this when you know the art of effective listening. When you apply effective listening skills, you listen with your ears, heart, eyes, and even with your mouth!
Between effective and partial listening
Effective listening is different from partial listening. In effective listening, you listen with the intention to understand and communicate. Effective listening is total listening. Partial listening is different. The receiver of the message in partial listening – listens with the intention to respond and not with the intention to understand. He listens to what he wants to hear. The listener makes up his mind even before the sender of the message begins to talk!
In partial listening, the receiver of the message listens for formality sake. Sometimes, he cuts in without waiting for the sender to conclude. This is because he is listening with the intention to respond from a predetermined position, and not with the intention to communicate effectively. This listening style does not build relationship because it is discourteous. The two methods: effective and partial types of listening are two distant poles that cannot meet. The former is ideal; while the latter should not be practised at all. Salesmen must note this aspect. In asking questions, try to ask what will ensure a robust communication. Don’t just ask questions for asking sake. Ask with the intent to discover the prospect and what his needs are. Discovering the prospect is the starting point of sales success.
Richard Branson said, ‘‘listen more than you talk. Nobody learns anything by hearing themselves speak.’’ It is when you listen to others that knowledge will increase. In sales, some prospects are naturally apprehensive. They see the salesman as someone who has come to take from their pockets! These sets of prospects won’t be in a hurry to let the salesman know all that is going on in their minds.
Listening is discipline
The glaring truth is that it takes discipline and patience to listen. It is also true that a lot of people lack this attribute. They just want to be heard when they speak. They want everyone to wait and listen to them! They want everyone to wait for them while they speak and once they are done, impatience sets in. They won’t wait to hear other opinions.
It takes discipline and patience to balance the weakness in this area. A disciplined fellow will naturally wait for his turn to speak. The man who listens is patient, disciplined and humble. These are great sales attributes. These are qualities that lead to success. Don’t set out without them.
George O. Emetuche
Brian Tracy endorsed bestselling author, speaker, and sales trainer.
Olumide Ibikunle is the immediate past president, Pharmaceutical Association of Nigeria Students (PANS), Igbinedion University, (IUO), Okada, Edo State. In this exclusive interview with Pharmanews, the young and astute Ibikunle, whose mother, Pharm. (Mrs) E.A Ibikunle is also a pharmacist speaks on some grey areas in the profession that needs to be addressed urgently by the stakeholders in the profession. He also expressed his views on some crucial issues affecting pharmacy education in Nigeria, especially the challenges facing public universities in the country. Excerpts:
Why did choose to study Pharmacy?
Growing up, my love for Biology and Chemistry helped inspired and shaped my dream of being a health practitioner. However, I realised that I was squeamish at the sight of blood and would rather spend time understanding animal health and hygiene as opposed to being a surgeon. I also developed the idea of expanding the frontiers of research efforts in finding a lasting cure to HIV/AIDS and other deadly diseases bedeviling our world. While my viewpoint of the entire health value chain has become refined, I have clearly seen how studying Pharmacy will help me make impact in the world.
Also, I am a second generation pharmacist as I took after my mum, Pharm. (Mrs) E.A. Ibikunle, a pharmacist. This obviously also played a huge role in my love for the profession and I am sure she is most elated that I am going to be inducted into the profession soon.
What informed your decision to study in a private institution and not a public one?
I used to be a pharmacy student at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), which is a public institution but I left OAU during 2012/2013 session and got transferred to IUO in 2013. I never had a preference for either a public or private institution but, by circumstance, I am graduating in a private institution. But they are both great schools with bright products.
What prompted your decision to involve in PANS politics?
PANS IUO is one of the most organised student associations on campus as it has a well-defined structure; but over the years, the nonchalant attitude of pharmacy students towards politicking and right leadership has made it less active compared to other student bodies. I saw a potential for greatness in the association which needed someone with experience and exposure to manage. Obviously the trend was not going to change without the emergence of a dynamic leader. While I was at OAU, I served in the capacity of assistant general secretary which exposed me to the structure of PANS and its basic activities.
What areas of the pharmacy profession do you think the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and other stakeholders need to address urgently?
Firstly, the issue of internship placement needs an urgent overhaul. Some Pharmacy students now stay more than a year before getting placement to do their compulsory internship programme, which is a prerequisite for being fully licensed to practise in the country. This is not good enough. The programme should also be made more inclusive and rewarding.
In addition, a state-of-emergency needs to be urgently declared on the issue of non-pharmacists dealing in pharmaceuticals, as the integrity of this noble profession needs to be preserved, not given out cheaply to quacks. This is imperative because it is taking away the need for pharmacists in our society, leading to unemployment and an unsafe society. The earlier this is done, the better for the pharmaceutical world.
Lastly, the PSN and the PCN need to work together especially in the areas of creating bills or legislation that affect the lives and living conditions of pharmacists. For instance, the law that prohibits pharmacists from not having more than a job at a time needs to be reviewed as quacks now hide under this guise of inadequate number of pharmacists to sell drugs. This has made our society more unsafe.
What can government do to improve the standard of pharmacy education in Nigeria?
Although the PCN and the NUC are doing very good jobs in regulating and improving the standard of pharmacy practice in Nigeria, more can still be done to make pharmacy schools here rival those in the western world by enforcing the improvement of the standards of laboratories and libraries books in pharmacy schools.
A board or council examination can be introduced, which will be a requirement for giving and renewing working license in the country. Government should dedicate more funds to the study of Pharmacy in the country, by giving grants to facilitate innovation and not looking up to the western world for help in times of health emergencies like the time of Ebola.
Finally, the pharmacy curriculum should be reviewed by the appropriate government body to meet the required and internationally accepted standards.
What is your message to IUO pharmacy students?
It has been one of the greatest blessings of my life to serve pharmacy students at Igbinedion University as the president of PANS. As I reflect on the year, I have come to understand that all alumni, students and friends have a strong love for this association. So, I want to urge them to make academic excellence their first priority before every other social activity on campus. They should learn more, do more and become more. They should rule their world and be great ambassadors of PANS Igbinedion University both within and outside the campus.
Also, I want to implore them to give the new administration more cooperation and support so as to take PANS IUO to an enviable status of global recognition.
The Nigerian Pharmaceutical Industry has the potential to be one of the best in the world. The country has one of the fastest growing populations (currently at 180 million people) and this evidently means that there is a huge potential domestic demand that can support a vibrant pharmaceutical industry.
However, the reality is lamentably far from expectations with the potential of the industry, just like every other sector of the Nigerian economy, largely sub-optimised. Despite the giant strides recorded in the last three decades, about 70 per cent of the drugs consumed in Nigeria are still imported with a record trade deficit of $475 million as at 2013 and this deficit is projected to reach about $800 million in 2018. Overall, the industry’s contribution to the national GDP is about 0.3 per cent and is practically non-existent in the world pharmaceutical map.
Barrier to growth
One of the factors militating against the rapid growth of the industry is the unorganised nature of the drug distribution system in the country. Over the years, this system has been compromised by criminal elements, which gave rise to the circulation of fake, adulterated and substandard drugs. The problem, which started small, has grown to become hydra-headed and has defied every attempt curb it.
In 2012, the federal government published a New Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDG, 2nd Edition) which clearly set the roles and responsibilities of the different levels of players in the distribution chain. The operation of these guidelines is expected to facilitate an audit trail whenever a disruption occurs in the system. The guidelines’ operation, initially scheduled for implementation in July, 2014, was first shifted to 2015 and later to August, 2017.
I was privileged to be the chairman of the National Drug Distribution Committee set up by the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) in 2013, with the mandate to generate awareness about the NDDG and advise the society on the appropriate steps to protect the interest of pharmacy, pharmacists and the general public in the implementation of the guidelines. The committee accepted the provisions of the guidelines and I travelled round the country to generate awareness as mandated and the response was impressive.
The committee also recommended the formation of a company which will serve as a buffer in the system and to assuage the palpable fear that the current unorganised drug distribution system may be replaced by a monopoly or oligopoly at the Mega Drug Distribution level. This company, as conceived, is expected to be run in accordance with the best practices in the industry and also provide an investment opportunity for Nigerian pharmacists. The recommendations were accepted by the PSN and the necessary steps were taken to bring the company into being.
Convinced about the viability of the project, we commissioned a Business Plan which was received, reviewed and approved by the committee. In summary, a total of N2.3 billion was recommended as the capital needed to fund the operation with a setup cost of N450 million (and balance to be used as guarantee for inventory purchase). The business is expected to break even in the second year with, a first-year target revenue of N3.6billion (1 per cent of the total market, about 5 per cent of the main competitor’s annual turnover).
Birth of ULCO
We adopted an inclusiveness strategy which ensures that everyone in the value chain (manufacturers, importers, retailers, etc.) is a participant. We also seek to drive acceptability with low margin which is the major attraction of the open drug market. This was what brought about Ultra Logistics Company Limited (ULCO) and, again, I was privileged to be the pioneer Managing Director.
The company was designed to be a Mega Drug Distribution Company, operating as a commercial enterprise with an underpinning social ethos that grows the investment of its shareholders. The company’s mission is ‘to emerge as the preferred Mega Drug Distribution Company in Nigeria and ensure that drugs are available, affordable and of good quality’. The business objectives were well laid out and the success pathway, business risks and mitigating factors were well packaged.
I worked with a crop of very intelligent and dedicated pharmacists, first in the National Drug Distribution Committee and later in the Interim Management team (Lekan Asuni, Victor Okwuosa, Abbas Sambo and Mrs Bukky George) and the Governance team (Ghali Sule, Godson Chukunda and Gafar Madehin). We were assisted throughout the course of events by a worthy consultant, Dr. Adewale Adeagbo.
Together, we worked tirelessly to ensure that the objectives of setting up the company were realised. We were driven by a passion for excellence and the compelling need to offer pharmacists a home-grown solution to the chief problem of the profession. We were also assisted by a strategy team composed of eminent pharmacists/business leaders and led by the director of Business School of Netherlands (BSN), Mr Lere Baale.
The recommendations of the strategy team was largely responsible for the adoption of the alternative route to market which could have made the full blown commercial operation to start in October, 2016.
Progressive partnership
The National Executive committee of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), ably led by Dr Abert Alkali, bought into the vision and the result of our collaboration was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two parties.
In the MOU, ACPN adopted ULCO as its bulk purchase agent and ULCO would have, in this capacity, negotiated favourable terms with manufacturers and importers. In return, ULCO is expected to develop internal capabilities and harness environmental resources to provide business support services to ACPN. The operation is expected to be driven by information technology and we hope that, very soon, no retailer will have a need to leave the premises in search of drugs.
We have started working with some financial institutions to provide bridging fund for retailers, which will ultimately eliminate the current issues around unsecured credits in the industry. With this cooperative platform, we have successfully laid a solid foundation for a revolution in the drug retail business in Nigeria.
Teething problems
There were challenges which slowed down the progress of work on the project. First, our original business plan was rendered unworkable because of the low amount of money raised through subscriptions. The New Drug Distribution Guidelines (the platform that gave birth to ULCO), is still in limbo and the advent of the economic recession which became full blown in 2016.
As true visionaries, we remain undaunted in the face of the challenges and we engaged the critical stakeholders to readjust our plans. We were encouraged by the unflinching support received from the subscribers and many leaders of the profession. We are aware that ‘leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality’ and this we did with ULCO. We succeeded in creating something out of nothing. The handling of the company finance was above board. We were conscious of the failure of the past and we did everything possible to avoid the pitfalls of the defunct Co-operative Pharmacy. We did not spend any money from the shareholders’ fund since inception to date. We generated income to cover our expenses, acquired assets and we still have some cash left. We fought a good fight, we kept the faith and we succeeded in turning a dream into reality.
An enviable success story
Ultra Logistics Company Limited is a vision in motion. It has come to stay. The subscribers should be proud that they have been part of a success story. Those who are yet to subscribe should do so now. The new management should be supported to make further achievements on the project.
We should all remember that the ‘road to success is constantly under construction’ and many workers will be engaged and disengaged at various times until the work is completed. The anticipated end-point should be regarded as a long-distance journey, and emphasis on a short-term gain should be moderated. It is also a relay race which will require the involvement of many competent hands to achieve victory.
Let us imagine what the future can be and follow Brian Tracy’s admonition that ‘all successful people, men and women, are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose’.
There is no need to entertain fear on the safety of your investment; the people at the helm of affairs now are tested men of integrity and they need your support for success. You have a need to ‘be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-savers, the creatures of the commonplace, and the slaves of the ordinary’ (Cecil Beaton).
God bless Ultra Logistics Company Limited; God bless Pharmacy; God bless Nigeria!
The vision began way back in 2005. But for Pharm. Regina Ezenwa, a Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (FPSN), bringing it to reality was not to be until December 2006 when she concluded that the vision could no longer be delayed. Consequently, the community pharmacist started the Roses Ministry, a faith-based foundation for widows, orphans and the less-privileged in Surulere area of Lagos.
As expected of every new charitable initiative, there was a spasm of teething problems. From inadequate funding, recruitment of committed workers to getting credible partners, the challenges were daunting.
However, rather than collapse, the ministry has continued to wax stronger. As part of its mission, the ministry has been constantly visiting prisons, orphanages and undertake rehabilitation of the sexually abused and returnees from abroad.
When Pharmanews visited Pharm. Ezenwa during her annual widows day programme in Surulere five years ago, the energetic pharmacist opined that she foresaw light at the end of the temporary dark tunnel the foundation was passing through.
“The Roses Ministry is a foundation set out to show God’s love to the hurting and vulnerable in society. At inception, we started small. But, today, we have four children on scholarship, several empowerment schemes in place and people collaborating with us to achieve our set goals,” she said.
Pharm. Regina Ezenwa, founder of The Roses Ministry (middle), rejoicing with participants at the 2016 edition of the foundation’s annual Widows’ Day programme held recently at the indoor hall of the National Stadium.
Ezenwa said that they initially had less than 50 widows at inception, a number that has significantly increased to about 500 members. In her summation, the number keeps swelling every week because virtually all the women are always coming in company of other widows who are just hearing of the ministry.
When asked about the funding of the 35-staff organisation, the managing director of Rozec Pharmacy admitted that it had been a challenging experience.
“The money we have spent so far was donation from members, trustees and friends who are willing to identify with the initiative. We actually budget N3.5 million for bags of rice, vegetable oil, drinks, drugs and textile materials to cater about 500 participants. But God has been faithful,” she said.
A lot seem to have happened after five years though. For instance, the venue of the 2016 edition of The Roses Ministry’s annual Widows Day was moved from its office at the National Population Commission to the indoor complex of the National Stadium in Surulere, apparently, because of the large crowd that turned out for the two-day event.
Themed ‘Raising True Disciples of Christ,’ the event was a potpourri of praise and worship, drama, free medical attention, counselling and giving out of relief materials, ranging from Bibles, Ankara fabrics, bags of rice, drinks, to tomato pastes, loaves of bread, vegetable oil, toiletries and drugs to the widows.
Quoting Miriam Neff, Ezenwa remarked that studies have shown that widows lose 75 per cent of their friendship once they lose their spouse; 60 per cent experience serious health issues in the first year; half of them remain clinically depressed; while most experience financial decline.
“One pastor aptly described them by saying they move from the front row of the church to the back, and then out the door. They move from serving and singing in the choir to solitude and silent sobbing, and then on to find a place where they belong
“We, in the Roses Ministry, offer assistance in terms of food, drinks, shelter, clothing, empowerment and ministry to the sick. But, above all, time and love as friends and family of Christ,” she stressed.
According to Mrs Nwadi Ejiofor, a founding member and head of the ministry’s department in charge of cases involving the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), no fewer than 1,023 widows turned up at the National Stadium for the annual programme.
“We resorted to the use of stadium to accommodate the growing numbers of members as well as avoid the risk of having rain or sun causing discomfort to participants,” she explained.
Aside from the occasional difficulty of transporting relief materials to the new venue, as well other logistics problem, she said that Roses Ministry is contented with the idea of using the stadium for future events.
Ejiofor, whose department pays a visit to NAPTIP headquarters every second Friday of each month to offer succour and counselling to victims of trafficking, also disclosed that the level of support towards the ministry has improved tremendously.
“In fact, up till now that the programme is half way, some well meaning Nigerians are still bringing us relief materials for the widows. We just cannot stop thanking God,” she remarked.
Pharm. (Mrs) Amaka Ofomata, coordinator, Roses Ministry’s health department declared that several of the drugs distributed at the last edition of the programme were donated by May & Baker, Pemason and Salem Gate Pharmaceuticals.
“While appreciating them, we call on other pharmaceutical companies and well meaning individuals to emulate them by equally showing solidarity to the cause of these widows,” she charged.
Top on the list of the free medical test carried out by the team last year were blood sugar, HIV/AIDS, BMI monitoring and malarial tests.
Reacting to the event, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, former managing director, Neimeth Pharmaceuticals Plc, said:
“I have two things on my mind. I am happy that The Roses Ministry is growing, which in itself is good. It is an indication that God has ordained it. Secondly, I must say that I am sad that the number of widows keeps increasing. It is worrisome.
“At the same, we have to thank God that there are still well meaning individuals like Pharm. (Regina) Ezenwa who took up the courage to take care of their needs,” he noted.
In her vote of thanks, Mrs Ijeoma Chuks-Okoye, a trustee of the foundation, disclosed how she initially turned down the idea of becoming a trustee when the idea was first mooted to her.
“I saw the role as one bigger than me. But today, I am happy that I have no cause to regret that action. Through several references and parables in the Bible, we were made to know that widows are people God finds very hard to ignore
“Aside from admitting that I have learnt a lot in The Roses Ministry, let me use this opportunity to say it is the only foundation I know where women shun gossips,” she exclaimed.
Among the dignitaries who attended the event were Wole Olufon, international director, Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI); Evangelist Anthony Umufiedo, Christ Worldwide Harvest Ministry and Engr Obidi Ezenwa, trustee, Roses Ministry.
Others were Engr Chikwelu Ezenwa, a telecom expert; Lady Ann Okechukwu, staff, The Roses Ministry; Mrs Grace Oji, trustee, Roses Ministry and Pastor Patrick Obumselu, His Presence Vineyard Church.
At a time when the economy of the nation is in a depressing state, with the health sector, in particular, in doldrums, it was indeed heartwarming when the federal government announced that it had disbursed the sum of 5.5 billion dollars to the 36 states and Abuja for the implementation of the “Save One Million Lives” (SOML) programme – with the goal of strengthening the capacity of the nation’s hospitals to save vulnerable lives.
Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, while speaking at the opening of the 59th National Council of Health meeting held in Umuahia, Abia State, from 23 to 24 January, said that the states and the Federal Capital Territory received 1.5 million dollars each from the fund.
Adewole stated that the one–off initial investment grant was disbursed last July to serve as an initial pump to drive delivery of SOML indicators and enable states to address legacy issues, adding that the programme seeks to catalyse change in the way healthcare is implemented by focusing on result and governance.
While noting that the ultimate aim of the initiative is to improve the quality of lives of mothers and children, the health minister assured that his ministry would ensure judicious utilisation of the funds, as enshrined in the programme implementation manual. He also stressed that the Buhari administration would ensure probity, accountability and transparency in the use of the funds given to the states.
Ordinarily, any measure aimed at enhancing the provision of quality healthcare to women and children should be applauded because Nigeria’s health statistics in terms of reproductive, maternal, new born and child health is still very unflattering and a far cry from the global target, despite some progress made by the nation in recent times to improve maternal and child care. The health minister himself recently confirmed that Nigeria’s present maternal mortality ratio of 576 per 100,000 live births from the 2013 National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) is a far cry from the 2030 global target, which is 70 per 100,000 live births.
We are worried, however, that over six months after SOML was launched, nothing much has changed in the nation’s healthcare delivery system; rather, the initiative seems to be going the way of other similar projects of the past that flourished in rhetoric of transformation, but floundered in tangible delivery. Interestingly, the present government was not the first to take up this initiative. The previous government of Goodluck Jonathan had first launched the initiative in October 2012, but having been allowed to go comatose, it had to be re-launched in July last year by the present government.
It is often said that “lightning does not strike twice in the same place”; in reality, however, failure can strike a project as many times as possible – as long as wrong methods continue to be applied. What this implies is that the SOML may have to be re-launched over and over again, if pragmatic steps are not taken to conscientiously pursue its laudable objectives to full actualisation.
Added to our concerns about the lacklustre performance of the SOML and its attendant consequence of continued needless loss of lives, is our consideration of the possible damage that such repeated flops may do to our image and reputation as a nation. World Bank is not just an active partner in this initiative but is actually its sole financier. The bank will definitely not hesitate to withdraw its support, once it concludes that there is no serious commitment on our part.
What is at stake, therefore, is not just our quest to reposition our healthcare delivery sector to save women and children from preventable deaths, but demonstrating that we can fulfill our partnership obligations and be credible enough to justify receiving the World Bank’s assistance which this initiative guarantees, which could amount to about 500 million dollars in the next four years.
We must also stress that beyond just disbursing money for programmes such as this initiative, it is also necessary to ensure that such programmes are in tandem with our broad health policy programmes. This is to maximise the positive outcomes and avoid duplication of efforts and waste of resources. This initiative, for instance, must be in line with programmes to be implemented under the Primary Health Care (PHC) scheme which is being revitalised, considering that a key component of the PHC is the reduction of maternal and infant mortality.
The Nigerian nation must therefore do all that is necessary to make the Save One Million Lives initiative a success because it can be instrumental in driving the change we need in the health sector and indeed save many Nigerian women and children from avoidable deaths.
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Twelfth meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (2015) regarding the international spread of poliovirus
The twelfth meeting of the Emergency Committee (EC) under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) regarding the international spread of poliovirus was convened via teleconference by the Director General on 7 February 2017.
The Emergency Committee reviewed the data on wild poliovirus (WPV1) and circulating vaccinederived polioviruses (cVDPV). The Secretariat presented a report of progress for affected IHR States Parties subject to Temporary Recommendations. The following IHR States Parties presented an update on the implementation of the WHO Temporary Recommendations since the Committee last met on 11 November 2016: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Central African Republic. The committee also invited the Russian Federation to provide information about a VDPV event in its territory.
Wild polio
Overall the Committee was encouraged by steady progress in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and was reassured and impressed by the rapid response of the polio eradication programme in Nigeria.
The committee welcomed the dedication in Pakistan to further strengthen surveillance, and in particular the expansion of environmental surveillance to improve detection. The intensity of environmental surveillance is now at unprecedented levels, so that it is likely detections may increase even as transmission in cases is falling. These data need careful interpretation, and the committee acknowledged that this also includes interpretation of data concerning cross-border transmission. The Committee also applauded the information that there were no fully inaccessible children in 2017. However, the recent exportation of WPV1 from Pakistan into Kandahar province of Afghanistan illustrated the difficulty of halting international spread between these two countries.
While the Committee applauded the efforts of Afghanistan to reach inaccessible children and noted the overall reduction in these numbers, the continuing insecurity in parts of Afghanistan means that substantial numbers of children remain inaccessible, heightening anxiety about completion of eradication.
The Committee welcomed the continued emphasis on cooperation along the long international border between the two countries noting that this sub region constitutes an epidemiological block. The committee continues to believe that the international border represents a significant opportunity to vaccinate children who may otherwise have been missed, and welcomed the increase in the number of border vaccination teams. Opportunities to install teams at more informal border crossings should be encouraged.
The Committee commended Nigeria for its rapid response to the WPV1 cases and welcomed that there had been no further cases detected since the last meeting. However, as there remain substantial populations in Northern Nigeria that are totally or partially inaccessible, the committee concluded that it is highly likely that polioviruses are still circulating in these areas. Reaching these populations is critically important for the polio eradication effort, but it is acknowledged that there are significant security risks that may pose danger to polio eradication workers and volunteers. The Committee noted that working under this threat is likely to negatively impact on the quality of the interventions. Nigeria has already adopted innovative and multi-pronged approaches to this problem, and the committee urged that this innovative spirit be continued.
There was ongoing concern about the Lake Chad region, and for all the countries that are affected by the insurgency, with the consequent lack of services, and presence of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees. The risk of international spread from Nigeria to Lake Chad basin countries or further afield in sub-Saharan Africa remains high. The committee was encouraged that the Lake Chad basin countries including Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and the Central African Republic (CAR), continued to be committed to sub-regional coordination. CAR needs to maintain the current momentum, including further improvement to AFP surveillance and if feasible introduce environmental surveillance as is currently planned.
Equatorial Guinea remains vulnerable, based on very sub-optimal polio eradication activities including poor surveillance, low routine immunisation coverage, and waning national efforts to address this vulnerability.
Vaccine derived poliovirus
The committee was very concerned that two new outbreaks of cVDPV have been identified, one in Sokoto in northern Nigeria, and the second in Quetta Pakistan. The virus found in Sokoto was unrelated to that found in Borno. Both of these outbreaks highlighted the presence of vulnerable under immunized populations in countries with endemic transmission. The committee noted the response to these outbreaks, acknowledging that in both cases it had complicated the ongoing efforts to eradicate WPV1.
The Committee welcomed the provision of information by the Russian Federation at the meeting about the recent detection of VDPV in two children from the Chechen Republic, and also welcomed the surveillance and immunization activities taken to date in response. The Committee noted that the investigation by the Russian Federation had shown that one of the children was immunosuppressed. The Committee requested that the WHO European Regional office and WHO HQ should continue to work with the Russian Federation to confirm the classification of the viruses. Therefore as the risk of international spread is still being assessed, no recommendations regarding this situation have been made by the committee.
In Guinea, the most recent case of cVDPV had onset in December 2015, and based on the most recent assessments and the criteria of the committee, the country is no longer considered as infected, but remains vulnerable.
The committee also noted the detection of non-circulating VDPV in several other countries.
Conclusion
The Committee unanimously agreed that the international spread of poliovirus remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), and recommended the extension of the Temporary Recommendations for a further three months. The Committee considered the following factors in reaching this conclusion:
The outbreak of WPV1 and cVDPV in Nigeria highlighting that there are high-risk areas where surveillance is compromised by inaccessibility, resulting in ongoing circulation of WPV for several years without detection. The risk of transmission in the Lake Chad sub-region appears high.
The continued international spread of WPV1 between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The persistent, wide geographical distribution of positive WPV1 in environmental samples and AFP cases in Pakistan, while acknowledging the intensification of environmental surveillance inevitably increasing detection rates.
The current special and extraordinary context of being closer to polio eradication than ever before in history, with the lowest number of WPV1 cases ever recorded occurring in 2016.
The risk and consequent costs of failure to eradicate globally one of the world’s most serious vaccine preventable diseases. Even though global transmission has fallen dramatically and with it the likelihood of international spread, the consequences and impact of international spread should it occur would be grave.
The possibility of global complacency developing as the numbers of polio cases continues to fall and eradication becomes a possibility.
The serious consequences of further international spread for the increasing number of countries in which immunization systems have been weakened or disrupted by conflict and complex emergencies. Populations in these fragile states are vulnerable to outbreaks of polio. Outbreaks in fragile states are exceedingly difficult to control and threaten the completion of global polio eradication during its end stage.
The continued necessity for a coordinated international response to improve immunization and surveillance for WPV1, to stop international spread and reduce the risk of new spread.
The importance of a regional approach and strong crossborder cooperation, as much international spread of polio occurs over land borders, while also recognizing that the risk of distant international spread remains from zones with active poliovirus transmission.
Additionally with respect to cVDPV:
cVDPVs also pose a risk for international spread, which without an urgent response with appropriate measures threatens vulnerable populations as noted above;
The ongoing circulation of cVDPV2 in Nigeria and Pakistan, demonstrates significant gaps in population immunity at a critical time in the polio endgame;
The ongoing urgency to prevent type 2 cVDPVs following the globally synchronized withdrawal of the type 2 component of the oral poliovirus vaccine in April 2016;
The ongoing challenges of improving routine immunization in areas affected by insecurity and other emergencies, including the post Ebola context;
The global shortage of IPV which poses an additional threat from cVDPVs.
Risk categories
The Committee provided the Director General with the following advice aimed at reducing the risk of international spread of WPV1 and cVDPVs, based on the risk stratification as follows:
Wild poliovirus
States currently exporting WPV1;
States infected with WPV1 but not currently exporting;
States no longer infected by WPV1, but which remain vulnerable to international spread.
Circulating vaccine derived poliovirus
States currently exporting cVDPV;
States infected with cVDPV but not currently exporting;
States no longer infected by cVDPV, but which remain vulnerable to the emergence and circulation of VDPV.
The Committee applied the following criteria to assess the period for detection of no new exportations and the period for detection of no new cases or environmental isolates of WPV1 or cVDPV:
Criteria to assess States no longer exporting (detection of no new WPV1 or cVDPV exportation)
Poliovirus Case: 12 months after the onset date of the first case caused by the most recent exportation PLUS one month to account for case detection, investigation, laboratory testing and reporting period, OR when all reported AFP cases with onset within 12 months of the first case caused by the most recent importation have been tested for polio and excluded for newly imported WPV1 or cVDPV, and environmental samples collected within 12 months of the first case have also tested negative, whichever is the longer.
Environmental isolation of exported poliovirus: 12 months after collection of the first positive environmental sample in the country that received the new exportation PLUS one month to account for the laboratory testing and reporting period.
Criteria to assess States no longer infected (detection of no new WPV1 or cVDPV)
Poliovirus Case: 12 months after the onset date of the most recent case PLUS one month to account for case detection, investigation, laboratory testing and reporting period OR when all reported AFP cases with onset within 12 months of last case have been tested for polio and excluded for WPV1 or cVDPV, and environmental samples collected within 12 months of the last case have also tested negative, whichever is the longer.
Environmental isolation of WPV1 or cVDPV (no poliovirus case): 12 months after collection of the most recent positive environmental sample PLUS one month to account for the laboratory testing and reporting period.
Temporary recommendations
States currently exporting WPV1 or cVDPV
Currently Pakistan – last WPV1 exportation: 13 January 2017, to Afghanistan; last case 22 December 2016.
Exporting countries should:
Officially declare, if not already done, at the level of head of state or government, that the interruption of poliovirus transmission is a national public health emergency; where such declaration has already been made, this emergency status should be maintained.
Ensure that all residents and longterm visitors (i.e. > four weeks) of all ages, receive a dose of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) or inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) between four weeks and 12 months prior to international travel.
Ensure that those undertaking urgent travel (i.e. within four weeks), who have not received a dose of OPV or IPV in the previous four weeks to 12 months, receive a dose of polio vaccine at least by the time of departure as this will still provide benefit, particularly for frequent travellers.
Ensure that such travellers are provided with an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis in the form specified in Annex 6 of the IHR to record their polio vaccination and serve as proof of vaccination.
Restrict at the point of departure the international travel of any resident lacking documentation of appropriate polio vaccination. These recommendations apply to international travellers from all points of departure, irrespective of the means of conveyance (e.g. road, air, sea).
Recognizing that the movement of people across the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan continues to facilitate exportation of WPV1, both countries should further intensify crossborder efforts by significantly improving coordination at the national, regional and local levels to substantially increase vaccination coverage of travellers crossing the border and of high risk crossborder populations. Both countries have maintained permanent vaccination teams at the main border crossings for many years. Improved coordination of crossborder efforts should include closer supervision and monitoring of the quality of vaccination at border transit points, as well as tracking of the proportion of travellers that are identified as unvaccinated after they have crossed the border.
Maintain these measures until the following criteria have been met: (i) at least six months have passed without new exportations and (ii) there is documentation of full application of high quality eradication activities in all infected and high risk areas; in the absence of such documentation these measures should be maintained until the state meets the above criteria of a ‘state no longer exporting'.
Provide to the Director General a monthly report on the implementation of the Temporary Recommendations on international travel, including the number of residents whose travel was restricted and the number of travellers who were vaccinated and provided appropriate documentation at the point of departure.
States infected with WPV1 or cVDPVs but not currently exporting
Infected countries (WPV1)
Nigeria (last case 21 Aug 2016)
Afghanistan (last case 13 Jan 2017)
Infected countries (cVDPV)
Nigeria (last case 28 Oct 2016)
Pakistan (last case 17 Dec 2016)
Lao People’s Democratic Republic (last case 11 Jan 2016)
These countries should:
Officially declare, if not already done, at the level of head of state or government, that the interruption of poliovirus transmission is a national public health emergency; where such declaration has already been made, this emergency status should be maintained.
Encourage residents and longterm visitors to receive a dose of OPV or IPV four weeks to 12 months prior to international travel; those undertaking urgent travel (i.e. within four weeks) should be encouraged to receive a dose at least by the time of departure.
Ensure that travellers who receive such vaccination have access to an appropriate document to record their polio vaccination status. Intensify regional cooperation and crossborder coordination to enhance surveillance for prompt detection of poliovirus and substantially increase vaccination coverage among refugees, travellers and crossborder populations.
Maintain these measures until the following criteria have been met: (i) at least six months have passed without the detection of WPV1 transmission or circulation of VDPV in the country from any source, and (ii) there is documentation of full application of high quality eradication activities in all infected and high risk areas; in the absence of such documentation these measures should be maintained until the state meets the criteria of a ‘state no longer infected’.
At the end of 12 months without evidence of transmission, provide a report to the Director General on measures taken to implement the Temporary Recommendations.
States no longer infected by WPV1 or cVDPV, but which remain vulnerable to international spread, and states that are vulnerable to the emergence and circulation of VDPV
WPV1
Cameroon (last case 9 Jul 2014)
Niger (last case 15 Nov 2012)
Chad (last case 14 Jun 2012)
Equatorial Guinea (last case 13 May 2014)
Central African Republic (last case 8 Dec 2011)
cVDPV
Ukraine (last case 7th July 2015)
Madagascar (last case 22nd August 2015)
Myanmar (last case 5th October 2015)
Guinea (last case 14th December 2015)
These countries should:
Urgently strengthen routine immunization to boost population immunity.
Enhance surveillance quality to reduce the risk of undetected WPV1 and cVDPV transmission, particularly among high risk mobile and vulnerable populations.
Intensify efforts to ensure vaccination of mobile and crossborder populations, Internally Displaced Persons, refugees and other vulnerable groups.
Enhance regional cooperation and cross border coordination to ensure prompt detection of WPV1 and cVDPV, and vaccination of high risk population groups.
Maintain these measures with documentation of full application of high quality surveillance and vaccination activities.
At the end of 12 months (1) without evidence of reintroduction of WPV1 or new emergence and circulation of cVDPV, provide a report to the Director General on measures taken to implement the Temporary Recommendations.
Additional considerations for all infected and high risk countries
The Committee strongly urged global partners in polio eradication to provide optimal support to all infected and vulnerable countries at this critical time in the polio eradication programme for implementation of the Temporary Recommendations under the IHR, as well as providing ongoing support to all countries that were previously subject to Temporary Recommendations (Somalia, Ethiopia, Syria, Iraq and Israel).
The committee requested the secretariat to provide data on routine immunization in countries subject to Temporary Recommendations. Recognizing that cVDPV illustrates serious gaps in routine immunization programmes in otherwise polio free countries, the Committee recommended that the international partners in routine immunization, for example Gavi, should assist affected countries to improve the national immunization programme.
The Committee noted the Secretariat’s report on the identification of Sabin 2 virus detected in environmental samples in several countries, and in some of these cases probably due to the ongoing use of tOPV in the private sector. The Committee requested a full report on this at the next meeting.
The Committee noted a more detailed analysis of the public health benefits and costs of implementing temporary recommendations was completed and warranted further discussion and review.
The Committee urged all countries to avoid complacency which could easily lead to a polio resurgence. Surveillance particularly needs careful attention to quickly detect any resurgent transmission.
Based on the advice concerning WPV1 and cVDPV, and the reports made by Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, and the Central African Republic, the Director General accepted the Committee’s assessment and on 13 February 2017 determined that the events relating to poliovirus continue to constitute a PHEIC, with respect to WPV1 and cVDPV. The Director General endorsed the Committee’s recommendations for countries falling into the definition of ‘States currently exporting WPV1 or cVDPV’, for ‘States infected with WPV1 or cVDPV but not currently exporting’ and for ‘States no longer infected by WPV1, but which remain vulnerable to international spread, and states that are vulnerable to the emergence and circulation of VDPV’ and extended the Temporary Recommendations as revised by the Committee under the IHR to reduce the international spread of poliovirus, effective 13 February 2017.
The Director General thanked the Committee Members and Advisors for their advice and requested their reassessment of this situation within the next three months.
The Organizing Committee of Conference Series LLC invites all the participants across the globe to attend the 11th World Congress on Pharmaceutical Sciences and Innovations in Pharma Industry on February 27- 28, 2017 at Amsterdam, Netherlands. Pharmaceutical Sciences 2017 will focus on the theme “Latest Trends in Pharmacy : Spanning the Gap in Research and Product Commercialization”.
Conference Highlights
Globalized Pharma Sector
Drug Discovery
Drug Development
Pharmaceutical Engineering
Tamper-Evident Pharmaceutical Packaging
Purpose and Principles of GMP
Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Optimization
Pharmaceutical Process Validation
Regulatory Requirements for Pharmaceuticals
Medico Marketing
Generics versus Big Pharma
Pharma and Biotech Financial Outlook
Digital Pharma
R&D Advancement: Road to New Medicines
Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology
Entrepreneurs Investment Meet.
On spot registration:
February 27, 2017
Accommodation
A large number of rooms have been reserved. Discounted room rates for Pharmaceutical Sciences 2017 participants are proposed. Only reservations made through the Conference will benefit these rates. The Congress Center can be easily reached by Public transportation.
Exhibition and Sponsorship
An Exhibition will be held concurrently with the Congress. The coffee break and lunch areas will be located adjacent to the booths. Thanks to exhibitors from all over the world, attendees will have a complete overview of new findings in the field of Ceramics and Composite Materials.
About Amsrterdam
Amsterdam is the capital and most populous municipality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Its status as the capital is mandated by the Constitution of the Netherlands although it is not the seat of the government, which is The Hague. Amsterdam has a population of 841,186 within the city proper, 1,337,743 in the urban area and 2,431,000 in the Amsterdam metropolitan area. The city is located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. The metropolitan area comprises much of the northern part of the Randstad, one of the larger conurbations in Europe, with a population of approximately 7 million.
Amsterdam’s name derives from Amstelredamme, indicative of the city’s origin as a dam of the river Amstel. Originating as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age a result of its innovative developments in trade. During that time, the city was the leading centre for finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries the city expanded, and many new neighbourhoods and suburbs were planned and built. The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam and the 19–20th century.
A young pharmacist graduate has called on pharmacy professionals and other well-meaning Nigerians for financial assistance to help improve health conditions in five local communities in Kebbi States.
Pharm. Rosalie Ijomone Oghogho is a serving corps member from the University of Port Harcourt with NYSC code KB/16A/1475 whose primary place of assignment is Aisha Buhari General Hospital Jega, Kebbi State.
As part of her Community Development Service (CDS) project, the 28-year-old has identified five local communities in Kebbi where no fewer than 2,000 women and children are suffering from malnutrition.
The target communities are Jega, Birnin Yari, Gindi, Alelu, Tutu Wada and Dumbego
Oghogho and her health team at a recent outing
The project, which has already kicked off, entails setting up a team that would comprise doctors, pharmacists, nurses, nutritionists, laboratory technicians and other community health workers who will ensure provision of medical care and medical equipment, including thousands of insecticide treated mosquito nets; renovation of Gindi Health Centre; sinking of borehole to provide good water source; procurement of nutritious food supplements and drugs, as well as coordinate other logistics.
“Daily, an average of five children is rushed into the accident and emergency unit either for anaemic conditions or due to being malnourished, unconscious or at the point of death,” Oghogho said. “This is a critical problem as the strength of a country is her people. If the children, who are supposedly the future of a society, do not live to a prime age to develop and influence their society but die at early age, what is the hope of that society?”
Oghogho explained that the prevalence of infectious diseases especially among children in the communities is quite alarming, adding that it is largely due to factors such as ignorance, poverty, malnutrition, poor personal hygiene, self-medication, drug abuse, unwillingness to access health facilities, amongst others.
She posited that if the five communities are properly enlightened on the importance of colostrum, exclusive breastfeeding complementary nutritive diet requirement, as well as the importance of visiting healthcare facilities for immunisation and early detection of symptoms, a lot of mortalities found in children would be reduced to the barest minimum.
Speaking further, the young crusader disclosed that through this project, her team intends to improve health and nutrition standard of children in the host communities, link pregnant women to health facilities for proper antenatal/postnatal care, and reduce morbidity and mortality rates among infants to the barest minimum.
Other objectives, according to her, include creating awareness on the dangers of self-medication and drug abuse, early detection of ailments, as well as imbibing a culture of good personal hygiene and empowerment of local women on skills acquisition, such as beads, soap, bag, snacks and drinks making.
“We need a minimum of N800,000 to bring about sustainable development and improve upon the standard of living in the communities. Obviously, the execution of this project is far beyond my personal capability.
“Therefore, I solicit sponsorship, support or assistance from well meaning Nigerians especially for the successful execution of this project. Your donations in cash or materials (drugs or other items) will be greatly appreciated,” Oghogho pleaded.
The pharmacy grad has provided the following bank details for support:
Bank: First Bank.
Account Name: Rosalie Ijomone Oghogho
Account No: 3044935316.
Pharm. Rosalie Ijomone Oghogho can be reached on 08069201677.
Following the recent prevalence of hydrocarbon soot, a black substance that has spread across some parts of Rivers State, the immediate past state Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Furo Green has alerted the Federal Government on the need to urgently control the situation, as failure to do so might be tantamount to risking the lives of six million residents of the state.
Dr. Green, who spoke to The Punch in Port Harcourt on the development, noted that residents of have continually called for help since they noticed the spread of the black substance in their environment, but their cries have yielded no result yet.
Green, a consultant surgeon at the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital in Port Harcourt, said there was need for government at all levels to identify the source of the pollution that had made residents of the state uncomfortable.
Identifying children with higher risk of developing respiratory problems after inhaling the hydrocarbon particles known as soot, he urged the government to scrutinise the activities of organisations involved in hydrocarbon processing.
According to him, “We suddenly noticed an increased discharge of black powdery matter in the environment, which the Ministry of Environment has traced to hydrocarbon.
“The implication of inhaling these hydrocarbon particles is that it can lead to acute inflammation of the airways which can lead to hyper stimulation of the airway and actually precipitate asthmatic attack in individuals who are predisposed to it.
“Over a long period of time it can lead to obstruction of the airways which we refer to as chronic bronchitis. When this condition goes on for long, it can end up as malignancy or even kill the individual,” Green added.
As you begin each new day, one thing you have in common with every other person is the same amount of time – 24 hours. How then do you spend your own day? How you spend each day makes all the difference.
Do you use, invest, or waste your time? How you use time is determined by your priorities. Stephen Covey said, “The key is in not spending time, but investing it.”
The actual value of your time is determined by the size of your goals and your commitment to them. Psalm 90:12 (NIV) says, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
Usually as we grow older we look back on how we have used our 24 hours each day. Ecclesiastes 12:1(NIV) says, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them.’” What goals have we set and achieved or failed to achieve? Of course, people who do not have goals for their lives do not expect achievements. Those who have goals but do not prioritise them tend to spend their time on urgent issues to the neglect of the important things that matter in life.
Ideally, your time or day should be divided between productive time, rest time and discretionary time. Your productive time is spent on thinking, planning and actually working as a means of earning income. Your productive time is the one that gives you most rewards. You can determine the worth of your productive time by dividing your total income by the number of hours you have worked.
To understand the value of this time, you need to assign an actual naira-per-hour value to your time. This will help you make decisions about how to spend your time. If the activity does not pay off, why do you do it? Don’t just dissipate your time and energy. Even if you don’t charge or get paid by the hour, your time still has a naira value.
It is advisable to write down the important things you have to do in the day. I do this before going to bed (the previous night) and meditate on them. Early in the morning I review and update the list of my activities. As I go over the list, I mark the items that will move me towards my major goal.
This period of planning for the day is actually critical for me. The day goes smoothly with a good plan. The best place for this exercise is the breakfast table. However, individuals have to determine how to manage their day for productivity depending on peculiar circumstances. A typical worker in Lagos that leaves for work at 6.30am and returns home around 7.00pm cannot relax at breakfast table. One main advantage of writing down your day’s plan and using your diary to check and fix your activities is that you do not forget what is important.
Most people have certain times they are most alert and perform better. Try to adjust your daily schedule to align with it. You can get more work done by handling mentally demanding activities during your peak energy periods. It has been found out that when your body temperature drops you have maximum energy but when it rises, your energy drops.
One secret of productivity is to tackle your most important task first and stay with it until completion. In this way you will find yourself engaged with most important things in your life. If something causes delay in its completion, go into the next most important activity. Each day, make up a fresh list and add any items left in the previous day but put them in order of importance. Working on your priorities makes you happy, fulfilled and healthy.
As much as possible, do not permit distractions to take you off your course. Unscheduled visitors can ruin your day. Phone calls, emails, messages and social media tend to consume much of productive time and therefore should be controlled. Carl Sandburg said, “Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that you do not let other people spend it for you.”
Of course, rest or sleeping time is important. A good night’s rest will usually improve your health and performance. Average range for sleeping is 7-9 hours. Siesta or short nap taken often after lunch improves health and productivity. Spain has a tradition of siesta between 1.00 and 4.00pm. During this time businesses close their doors so that staff could take a long break and a nap during the day. Siesta is not practicable in Nigerian situation but those whose schedule of work allows having a nap know the benefits to health and productivity.
Your discretionary time, when you are neither producing nor sleeping, generally involves rewards that are not directly material. This is the time you spend alone in meditation, with family, friends, hobbies, recreation, volunteer, social or service activities. This time significantly improves the quality of life by helping to maintain a balance.
In appreciation for its continual support over the years, especially during its annual conferences, the national executives of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), led by the National Chairman, Pharm. (Dr) Albert Kelong Alkali paid a courtesy visit to Pharmanews corporate office in Lagos, on Tuesday 14, February 2017.
Pharm. Alkali, who noted that the visit was his first since his assumption of office as the national chairman, was to appreciate the long-standing relationship and support of Pharmanews to the association, as well as to pay homage and seek advice from Pharm. (Sir) Atueyi, whom he described as a role model to the younger ones in the profession.
In attendance at the meeting were Pharm. Samuel Adekola, national vice chairman; national secretary, Pharm. Adeoye Afuye and assistant national secretary, Pharm. Lawrence Ekhator; Managing Director, Pharmanews Limited, Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi; Editor, Pharmanews Limited, Yusuff Moshood; Business Development Manager, Joel Omikunle, and correspondent Adebayo Oladejo.
Pharm. Gbenga Olubowale was the chairman, Conference Planning Committee (CPC) for the 89th conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN). In this exclusive chat with Pharmanews, he revealed the essentials of the conference, stressing the importance of starting early. Olubowale, who is the chairman of PSN Lagos, also highlighted some proven strategies that can help pharmacists survive the current economic downturn in the country. Excerpts:
Congratulations on your successful coordination of the 89th PSN conference. As the chairman of the Conference Planning Committee, how would you assess the conference generally?
Well, the conference which we aptly tagged “Power State 2016” has come and gone and from the comments and feedbacks from participants, it has been adjudged as one of the best conferences in the annals of the profession, in terms of planning and execution. The attendance was overwhelming, even beyond our expectations, because people came from all over the country by all means. We had participants who came by rail, air, and by road; so it was definitely a rich one.
You must have encountered some challenges during the process of planning and implementing your strategies for the conference. Can you recount some of them?
There were definitely challenges, and a major one is the economic recession in the country, which gave us concern about companies’ participation. Recall that the annual national conference is a major source of funding for the activities of PSN. Conference is a place we look forward to, for generation of income through companies’ sponsorship, exhibition, and individual pharmacist’s participation.
Initially, a lot of companies had financial constraint, even though they were willing to participate; but by and large, even though the final figure has not been collated, I think we were able to meet our target, through the last minute registration.
Another major challenge we envisaged was that of getting to the venue, because there is no direct flight to Minna. Most people came in through Abuja, and Abuja-Minna road is not very smooth. Also of concern to us was the issue of accommodating over 2,000 participants. However, we were able to overcome most of these challenges.
The rail arrangement was not eventually followed up, but some colleagues came by the rail and they enjoyed it; it was a sort of excursion for them. However, some pharmacists could not make it because of the long distance.
What are the loopholes you would want the next conference planning committee chairman to bridge for this year?
In terms of loopholes, I think starting early is very crucial, as early as the year commences. I will also advise that the next CPM should do more of virtual communication, because face-to-face communication is outdated, and it wastes time and resources. Having committee members from Sokoto, Ibadan, and other places, we resorted to email and other means of electronic communication, and we were able to save the association a lot of money.
Again, resource persons and companies should be contacted as soon as possible, in order for them to factor expenses for the conference into their budget. These are some of the things they should take note of.
Additionally, participants are to be encouraged to register online as soon as possible, to facilitate proper planning for the conference.
Regarding PSN Lagos, you have successfully headed the branch for about three years now, and the branch has pioneered many laudable initiatives; but it’s been observed that other state branches have not been this vibrant. What can be responsible for this and how can PSN Lagos be of help to others?
Lagos is a peculiar state. When you talk of pharmacists, Lagos has the bulk of their population – about 70 per cent of the practitioners reside in Lagos. Even coming to political governance, very few states can do what Lagos State is doing. So I see that it is a replication of what is obtainable in the state generally.
Lagos is the commercial nerve of the country, and definitely, the PSN branch must be vibrant. Again PSN Lagos has been blessed with men and women of substance, and where you have such a large number, it will be easy for you to make choices. But some PSN branches do not have that luxury of membership like Lagos.
Also we have a population of pharmacists that are quite cooperative. They give their total support to our administration. And, you know that when you have such support, you cannot afford to fail; this gives us the courage to go forward.
Actually though, most of the other branches, too, are working at different levels; but many of their activities are not being reported in the media. Perhaps they are not aware of the power inherent in the media. However, they may not be blamed completely for this because the states may not have enough pressmen like Lagos.
Still on PSN Lagos, what were the major achievements of the branch in 2016, and what’s the vision for 2017?
All I can say is that we have done our best within the limited period we have. Some of the goals we set for ourselves have been achieved, while some are yet to be accomplished Overall, we give ourselves a pass mark.
As you have rightly observed, this is my last year as the chairman of the branch, and we are hoping to leave behind a very formidable legacy that our successor can ride upon. We have given the society more visibility, during the year; we have had opportunities to make appearances in different media of communication to showcase the activities of the branch.
We had an annual luncheon that was well reported and we also had an annual week that was reported far and wide. We also did induction for our new pharmacists in the state (corpers, and those who had just relocated to the state). The annual luncheon was used to celebrate some colleagues, pharmacists and non-pharmacists.
We also gave the incumbent PSN president and the immediate past president a resounding reception, and other states followed suit. The same event was used to celebrate two pharmacists commissioners in the state, Pharm. Uzamat Adegbile and Pharm. Seun Osikoya; commissioner III of the Health Service Commission; as well as ten distinction pharmacists of the UNILAG pharmacy school; they were well recognised. This is a signal to other students and colleagues that hard work really pays.
We actually had a good year. In terms of development, a look around the Pharmacy Villa will show that some capital works are on-going for the second phase of the secretariat. This is to bequeath a befitting house to pharmacists in Lagos.
For 2017, we hope to finish up all projects that can be rounded off before handing over. On the issue of control of illegal premises, we have collaborated with the appropriate agency, and we are hoping to deliver well on our promises in the next few months.
The economic situation is not putting smiles on many faces. What survival strategies would you advise pharmacists to embrace?
Recession is not limited to pharmacists alone; anybody residing in the country, for some couple of months now, would clearly understand what we are going through. I think one key lesson we need to take away from here is to adjust ourselves appropriately. We need to prioritise on our list of wants and needs. We must scale down on our taste, thinking of how to survive the period – while also seeking better opportunities, because I strongly believe that in the midst of the recession, there lie opportunities for the discerning mind.
If you are working in the community, you must think of adding extra value to your services, in order to give customers maximum satisfaction.
We must up our skills, and raise the level of our inputs; that’s one key area we must look into. Again, it’s high time pharmacists started thinking of merging their premises together for a bigger operation, with shared responsibilities, costs and profits. This might be another very good option to try in this recession.
In recognition of his relentless commitment to effective healthcare delivery in the country, the Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Professor Babatunde Salako, has been honoured with Africa’s Icon of Medical Transformation award.
The award was presented to him by the African Students Union Parliament (ASUP) at the NIMR’s Institute Boardroom on 6 February, with senior staff members of the institute and pressmen in attendance.
Speaking on the selection of Prof. Salako for the position, ASUP’s spokesperson, Abel Kewul described the NIMR DG as a leader who has dedicated his time and talents to championing the common good of mankind in accordance with the Pan-Africanism Ideology.
Kewul further highlighted other attributes in Prof. Salako, which made him the best qualified for the award.
These, he said, included his purposeful leadership, management acumen, health sector strategic development, qualitative healthcare delivery, training and research development, community and economic development, student and youth empowerment, national peace and international harmony, and charity to the less privileged.
ASUP Speaker, Abel Kewul, presenting the award plaque to Prof. Babatunde Salako, at the event.
He said: “While some privileged ones have chosen to perpetually bask in the euphoria of contentment and hedonism, rare kinds like our awardee has chosen a path that mitigates the adverse effect of this imbalance by leading a life of benevolence, compassion, astute, dedication to effective service delivery and Spartan patriotism”.
Responding to the kind gesture of the student parliament, Prof. Salako expressed appreciation to the group, adding that he was not completely surprised about the honour and visit, knowing full well that the public had been monitoring his good works and commitment to the well-being of humanity.
Prof. Salako also mentioned that NIMR is the oldest medical institute in Nigeria, and possibly in the entire African region to have received this recognition, due to the qualitative service delivery received by the citizenry.
He assured the student parliament on the willingness of the institution to support them, particularly on their campaign against drug abuse, as it is in line with NIMR’s programme to stem the tide of drug misuse in the communities.
“The future of the nation belongs to the youth and you have the opportunity now to work out a beautiful tomorrow for yourselves by destroying this evil attitude among your peers and groups in order to make Africa, and Nigeria have a pride of place”, he asserted.
Emphasising the need for all hands across various youth platforms to be on deck to achieve this feat against drug abuse, he urged all educational stakeholders and institutes to devote themselves to the cause.
Sometimes you have to die a little on the inside first in order to be reborn and rise again as a stronger, smarter version of yourself.
Nobody gets through life without losing someone they love, someone they need, or something they thought was meant to be. But it is these losses that make us stronger and eventually move us toward future opportunities for growth and happiness.
Here are some lessons extra ordinary leaders have learnt along the way:
You are not what happened to you in the past. No matter how chaotic your past was, your future is a clean, fresh, wide open slate. You are not your past habits. You are not your past failures. You are not how others have at one time or the other treated you. You are only who you think you are right now at this moment. You are only what you do right now in this moment.
Focus on what you have, not on what you don’t. You are who you are and you have what you have, right now. And it can’t be that bad, because otherwise you wouldn’t be able to read this. The important thing is simply to find one POSITIVE thought that inspires and helps you move forward. Hold on to it strongly, and focus on it. You may feel like you don’t have much, or anything at all, but you have your mind to inspire you. And that’s really all you need to start moving forward again.
Struggling with problems is a natural part of growing. Part of living and growing up is experiencing unexpected troubles in life. People lose jobs, get sick, and sometimes die in car accidents. When you are younger, and things are going pretty well, this harsh reality can be hard to visualise. The smartest, and oftentimes hardest, thing we can do in these kinds of situations is to be tempered in our reactions. To want to scream obscenities, but to be wiser and more disciplined than that. To remember that emotional rage only makes matters worse. And to remember that tragedies are rarely as bad as they seem, and even when they are, they give us an opportunity to grow stronger.
It’s okay to fall apart for a little while. You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well. You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either. Cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears. The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again. And a smile doesn’t always mean a person is happy. Sometimes it simply means they are strong enough to face their problems.
Life is fragile, sudden, and shorter than it often seems. There may not be a tomorrow – at least, not for everyone. Right now, someone on earth is planning something for tomorrow without realising they’re going to die today. This is sad but true. So, spend your time wisely today and pause long enough to appreciate it. Every moment you get is a gift. Don’t waste time by dwelling on unhappy things. Spend it on things that move you in the direction you want to go.
You will fail sometimes. The faster you accept this, the faster you can get on with being brilliant. You’ll never be 100 per cent sure it will work, but you can always be 100 per cent sure doing nothing won’t work. Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing. So get out there and try! Either you succeed, or you learn a vital lesson. It’s a win-win.
You have the capacity to create your own happiness. Feelings change, people change, and time keeps rolling. You can hold onto past mistakes or you can create your own happiness. A smile is a choice, not a miracle. Don’t make the mistake of waiting on someone or something to come along and make you happy. True happiness comes from within.
Emotionally separate yourself from your problems. You are far greater than your problems. You are a living, breathing human being who is infinitely more complex than all of your individual problems added up together. And that means you’re more powerful than they are – you have the ability to change them, and to change the way you feel about them.
Don’t make a problem bigger than it is. – You should never let one dark cloud cover the entire sky. The sun is always shining on some part of your life. Sometimes you just have to forget how you feel, remember what you deserve, and keep pushing forward.
Everything that happens is a life lesson. Everyone you meet, everything you encounter, etc. They’re all part of the learning experience we call ‘life.’ Never forget to acknowledge the lesson, especially when things don’t go your way. If you don’t get a job that you wanted or a relationship doesn’t work, it only means something better is out there waiting. And the lesson you just learnt is the first step towards it.
View every challenge as an educational assignment. Ask yourself: “What is this situation meant to teach me?” Every situation in our lives has a lesson to teach us. Some of these lessons include: To become stronger. To communicate more clearly. To trust your instincts. To express your love. To forgive. To know when to let go. To try something new.
Things change, but the sun always rises the next day. The bad news: nothing is permanent. The good news: nothing is permanent.
Giving up and moving on are two very different things. There comes a point when you get tired of chasing everyone and trying to fix everything, but it’s not giving up, and it’s not the end. It’s a new beginning. It’s realising, finally, that you don’t need certain people and things and the drama they bring.
Distance yourself from negative people. Every time you subtract negative from your life you make room for more positive. Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. Let go of negative people, for they are the greatest destroyers of self confidence and self esteem. Surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you.
Perfect relationships don’t exist. There’s no such thing as a perfect, ideal relationship. It’s how two people deal with the imperfections of a relationship that make it ideal.
You must love yourself too. One of the most painful things in life is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too. When was the last time someone told you that they loved you just the way you are, and that what you think and how you feel matters? When was the last time someone told you that you did a good job, or took you someplace, simply because they know you feel happy when you’re there? When was the last time that ‘someone’ was YOU?
Don’t let others make decisions for you.
Sometimes you just have to live, not caring what they think of you. Shake off the drama, and prove to YOURSELF that you’re better than they think you are.
Resentment hurts you, not them. Always forgive people and move on, even if they never ask for your forgiveness. Don’t do it for them – do it for you. Grudges are a waste of happiness. Get that unnecessary stress out of your life right now.
You’re not alone. Everyone has problems. To lose sleep worrying about a friend. To have trouble picking yourself up after someone lets you down. To feel like less because someone didn’t love you enough to stay. To be afraid to try something new for fear you’ll fail. None of this means you’re dysfunctional or crazy. It just means you’re human, and that you need a little time to right yourself. You are not alone. No matter how embarrassed or pathetic you feel about your own situation, there are others out there experiencing the same emotions. When you hear yourself say, “I am all alone,” it is your mind trying to sell you a lie.
You still have a lot to be thankful for. Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of brave people who are overcoming it. Sometimes you have to forget what’s gone, appreciate what still remains, and look forward to what’s coming next. Henry David Thoreau once said, “Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.” Even when times are tough, it’s always important to keep things in perspective. You didn’t go to sleep hungry last night. You didn’t go to sleep outside. You had a choice of what clothes to wear this morning. You hardly broke a sweat today. You didn’t spend a minute in fear. You have access to clean drinking water. You have access to medical care. You have access to the Internet. You can read. Some might say you are incredibly wealthy, so remember to be grateful for all the things you do have.
Do you want to have a healthy body, a peaceful mind and a fulfilled spirit this new year? Then these three master principles discussed here are for you.
What is optimum health?
Optimum health can simply be described as a complete state of well-being and not just the absence of disease or infirmity. In other words, for a person to be termed healthy, he must be physically, emotionally, socially, mentally and spiritually sound. Each of these components, without the other is null and void. They all work together as a system.
A person may be physically fit but if he is suffering from any mental disorder like bipolar disorder, psychosis, dementia or even forgetfulness then the person is not healthy. A person may be physically and mentally sound, but if he has emotional problems like depression or persistent stress, then the person is not healthy. Achieving optimum health is all about achieving high physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual well-being.
Optimum health is the foundation of a good life. Without optimum health every other aspect of our life – our relationship, career, business, happiness and impact – will suffer. Most highly successful people know this and this places a high premium on their health. They realise that for them to achieve their full potentials, health is a MUST and not an option.
I’ve helped a myriad of people enjoy a better quality life through my wellness and healthy living training and coaching. Below are the three key strategies to achieve optimum health.
Listen to your body
Are you thirsty? Are you hungry? Do you need rest? Are you deprived of sound sleep? Whatever your body needs, just listen to it and do it immediately.
Our body is the container that houses our mind and spirit. The mind and spirit cannot function optimally if the body is not in the best shape. When the container (body) is in trouble, the contents (mind and spirit) become comatose.
How can you be fit and strong? Consciously always know your health numbers, eat well, sleep well, exercise regularly, drink adequate clean water, relax often, detoxify your system regularly and stay away from anything your body reacts to. Apply all these simple yet powerful strategies and you can be fit and strong, filled with energy and vitality, and experience a healthy body with all its benefits.
Honour your mind
Powerful and mighty is the human mind. It can build or destroy. The state of our mind has a stupendous effect on the state of our health. Great health starts from the right frame of mind.
How can you honour your mind? Always think positively, reject rejection, manage stress effectively, never trouble trouble until trouble troubles you, laugh often, smile always, feed your mind with positivity and always surround yourself with good, motivated and successful people.
Strengthen the fibre of your mind to be bigger than any problem. Apply all these strategies day in, day out, and you will experience a peaceful mind and a good life.
Savour your spirit
Every day, our body is getting old naturally, our mind is growing constantly, and our spirit is looking out for fulfillment regularly. How can you savour your spirit? Be grateful for all things and everything. You can’t be grateful and be fearful at the same time. You can’t be grateful and be angry. You can’t be grateful and feel miserable.
Always count your blessings. Share happiness, contribute to other people’s success, fall in love with what you do, always think of other people’s benefits in whatever you do, keep growing and improving, live each day with passion and enthusiasm and be the best you can be. Then, you will experience a fulfilled spirit and a purposeful life.
Whenever I ask people to tell me their priorities in life. Most times, their response is this order: God, family, friendship, purpose, business and personal wellbeing. But the bitter truth is that the foremost in our priorities should be our wellbeing. A person who is sick or experiencing poor health cannot serve God effectively, enjoy his relationship, fulfill his life’s purpose or build a successful business or career.
If you’re really serious about having a superb year, then you must place premium on your health. To experience a healthy body, a peaceful mind and a fulfilled spirit this year and beyond, listen to your body, honour your mind and savour your spirit. The world is your oyster. Great health is in your hands.
ACTION PLAN: What are the daily habit you must adapt to experience a healthy body, a peaceful mind and a fulfilled spirit?
AFFIRMATION: What I feed my body, mind and spirit I become. I commit to optimum health.
Sesan Kareem is a prolific author, health and life strategist and a human capacity development consultant. He writes from Lagos, Nigeria.
For the prevalence of cancer incidences to be drastically reduced, information dissemination on the prevention and management of the disease has been identified as crucial element. This remark was made as Pfizer Nigeria signed a partnership with Project PINK BLUE on Breast cancer advocacy.
The initiative which was very apt came on the heels of the World Cancer Day celebrated on 4 February of every year to raise awareness on cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection and treatment. It is the singular initiative under which the entire world can unite together in the fight against the global cancer epidemic.
“Cancer has been defined with different pathetic axioms in Nigeria due to the severe pain, death, low survival rate and most painfully metastatic breast cancer. With the UICC Pfizer SPARC grant we have been able to start changing patients’ journey and access to palliative care in Nigeria. As the number of cancer patients grow, we must do everything we can to increase cancer survivors” said the Executive Director of Project PINK BLUE, Runcie C.W. Chidebe
The collaboration, which was Abuja's first breast cancer support group to join the advocacy on Breast cancer, was aimed at providing increased awareness on cervical and breast cancers and reaching out to the government to take action against the disease.
Margaret Olele, Corporate Affairs Director Pfizer Nigeria stated that “Pfizer is committed to spreading knowledge and fostering hope in the fight against cervical and breast cancers as early detection can help in reducing the number of deaths”.
About Pfizer Inc.: Working together for a healthier world™
At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to improve health and well-being at every stage of life. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacturing of medicines for people and animals. Our diversified global health care portfolio includes human and animal biologic and small molecule medicines and vaccines, as well as nutritional products and many of the world’s best-known consumer products.
Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as the world’s leading biopharmaceutical company, we also collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, Pfizer has worked to make a difference for all who rely on us.
To learn more about our commitments, please visit us at www.pfizer.com
Pregnant mothers have been warned to desist from the use of antibiotics in pregnancy, as it has been found to weaken baby’s immune system
According to the study conducted by researchers from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, published on DailyMailonline, it found that drugs used to beat infections can interfere with a baby’s immune system long-term.
Previous studies, particularly the one published September last year had found that children given antibiotics before the age of two are more likely to develop eczema in later life. Also, studies on almost 400,000 people found that giving the drugs to infants increased their chance of developing the painful skin allergy by up to 41 per cent.
On the current findings, the researchers found immune system cells linked to fighting lung cancer were missing after exposure to antibiotics. Longer term, continued disruptions to gut bacteria appear to cause permanent immune system damage.
Friendly gut bacteria – which play a pivotal role in the development of a child – are frequently wiped out by the drugs, according to new research.
Study author Dr Hitesh Deshmukh said: “It is time to begin pushing back on practices that were established decades ago, when our level of understanding was different”
“To prevent infection in one infant, we are exposing 200 infants to the unwanted effects of antibiotics. A more balanced, more nuanced approach is possible.”
Statement by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin and UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake on the 2017 International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM.
“It irreparably damages girls’ bodies, inflicting excruciating pain. It causes extreme emotional trauma that can last a lifetime.
“It increases the risk of deadly complications during pregnancy, labour and childbirth, endangering both mother and child.
“It robs girls of their autonomy and violates their human rights. It reflects the low status of girls and women and reinforces gender inequality, fueling intergenerational cycles of discrimination and harm.
“It is female genital mutilation and cutting. And despite all the progress we have made toward abolishing this violent practice, millions of girls — many of them under the age of 15 — will be forced to undergo it this year alone. Sadly, they will join the almost 200 million girls and women around the world who are already living with the damage FGM/C causes – and whose communities are already affected by its impact.
“In 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals recognized the close connection between FGM/C, gender inequality, and development – and reignited global action to end FGM/C by 2030.
“In 2016, more than 2,900 communities, representing more than 8.4 million people living in countries where UNFPA and UNICEF work jointly to end FGM/C, declared they had abandoned the practice.
“In 2017, we must demand faster action to build on this progress. That means calling on governments to enact and enforce laws and policies that protect the rights of girls and women and prevent FGM/C.
“It means creating greater access to support services for those at risk of undergoing FGM/C and those who have survived it. It also means driving greater demand for those services, providing families and communities with information about the harm FGM/C causes – and the benefits to be gained by ending it.
“And ultimately, it means families and communities taking action themselves and refusing to permit their girls to endure the violation of FGM/C.
“Let us make this the generation that abolishes FGM/C once and for all – and in doing so, help create a healthier, better world for all.”
Poised to stem the ugly tide of drug abuse and misuse in the country, members of the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN) Lagos State branch, besieged the Yaba Market on Wednesday, 8 February, to educate the traders on the dangers of drug abuse, and why they must desist from it.
The pharmacists, who converged at the Yaba Park with a musical band, addressed the commercial drivers, conductors, travellers, and passers-by in the various local languages on the essence of consulting medical personnel before taking any drug whatsoever, because the adverse effects of taking such drugs without prescription could be terminal.
Thereafter, the AHAPN members launched into the streets and market to address the traders one-on-one, on why they must discontinue from drug abuse, listing some over-the –counter drugs they must not abuse, like paracetamol, codein, due to their accessibility and availability.
AHAPN executives and members in a group photograph during the campaign
Speaking with the Chairperson of Lagos AHAPN, Pharm. (Mrs) Folashade Kotun, she noted that the advocacy was actually an eye-opener to them, as some of the people they counselled revealed a lot of heinous practices of drug abuse they have been engaged in, while they were warned on the risk of such habit.
“One of the people we spoke to this morning, told us that he has taken Tramodol, Codein, and a particular bitters, saying that the combination of the three medicines make him feel good. Another person with names withheld said the same thing. This has shown that there is need for more awareness campaign on this issue, as more and more people are engaging in it.
“We can educate our people to eradicate the menace of drug abuse in our society. Our street sensitisation shown that a lot of t people indulging in drug abuse are quite young, and without such advocacy, what will be the future of this youth in the next ten to fifteen years”, she stated.
For Pharm. (Mrs) Margaret Adedapo, who works with the Lagos State Ministry of Health, the campaign was very apt at this time, because a lot of drug abuse is going on in our community, thus AHAPN has come to tell them the danger of the negative attitude.
Mrs Adedapo who wears a double cap as the financial secretary of the Lagos AHAPN and national AHAPN, said the campaign will go a long way in changing the negative attitude of the people to drugs, “because we told them the effect of such attitude, as we came down to their levels, spoke to them in the languages they best understood”.
Another participant in the campaign, Pharm. Bisola Salam, of the Federal Medical Centre, Ebutte Meta, noted that it was a laudable programme, as the turnout was quite impressive. The purpose was to enlighten the traders, semi illiterate and illiterate because the educated are well informed of the evils of drug abuse.
Her words: “I specifically addressed the audience in Hausa Language; another colleague spoke in Igbo, while someone else spoke to them Yoruba and Pidgins, all to bring the message home to the people. We told them of the benefits and side effects of drugs, and why they must get counsel from healthcare practitioners’ before taking any medicine”.
One of the traders, Mr Chukwudi Offor asked if one can administer a medicine in an emergency situation before seeing the doctor, just to the safe the patient. But he was advised to always seek medical counsel earlier, before the condition becomes aggravated to an emergency case.
An Okada rider, named Isiaka Saliu hinted the pharmacists on how he usually feel high whenever he takes Alabukun with Alcohol, saying it is difficult for him to desist from such. He was however told that he can do without that drug abuse and still perform well in his business.
If you don’t have a prospect, you are out of business. – Zig Ziglar
Life follows a defined order. The sequence of life usually follows the mathematical order of counting one before two. Nature follows a defined arrangement. When you sow, you reap. When you work, you eat. The farmer that plants mango will reap mango and not orange. What you plant is what you harvest; what you sow is what you reap. This is a natural sequence.
It is also imperative to note that the result you get is proportionate to the effort you make. If you want to get more result, you have to get ready to put in more efforts. Life follows this simple order. Successful folks follow this order too. Once you invest effort in the right place at the right time, the result is usually positive. This is an indisputable fact in personal and professional life.
Look out for viable prospects
Now, let’s bring this logic to the sales world. Many authorities agree that the first duty of a business is to discover customers. Management expert, Peter Drucker propounded this idea over 40 years ago. You can’t think of success of any business without this first function. No customers, no business. But, put in proper perspective, it is: no prospect, no customer…no business!
This is the appropriate sequence because customers come from viable prospects. Customers don’t just emerge – unless in an open market situation where buyers come in to buy and go their way after doing their businesses. In this situation, they buy out of their volition in preferred places. Otherwise, winning customers is as a result of the effort that sales and marketing people make on their prospects.
It is common knowledge in personal selling that prospects are discovered before customers. This means that it takes a prospect to find a customer. It takes customers to build and sustain a business. Successful sales professionals keep their prospects’ account in green always. Smart sales professionals discover new viable prospects every day. This is how to maintain a positive prospects’ reservoir.
Your prospects accounts must be on the increase daily if you want to maintain a healthy customer base. You will rely on viable prospects when the going gets tough. Successful salespeople employ this strategy. They expand their viable prospects accounts all the time because viable prospects serve as lifeline when the marketplace is stiffer than imagined. A salesman who keeps developing new viable prospects will likely have a lot of people to sell to.
I have repeatedly used the word “viable” here. Let me explain this. Not all prospects will end up as customers. Sales activities require a sequence of deliberate actions to convert a prospect to a customer. Viable or positive end up as customers. Salesmen should ensure that they develop this aspect of selling. The salesman should follow up on prospects that will give desired result. Ensure you follow the right prospect. Ensure also that you are selling your product in the right market, at the right time, for the right prospect. This is what makes a prospect viable.
Prospect efficiently
Smart selling encourages spending more resources: Time, energy and money in places that will give the best outcome. Resources are limited; therefore it is advisable to be efficient in the field. Use the available resources to get the best result. This is the way of champions.
Spending resources where results won’t be felt is not the way to go in today’s tough business environment. Some places will not yield desired results. Some places will end up frustrating the salesman!
A viable prospect is the lifeline of the business. No business will survive without viable prospects. Salesmen should continue to discover new prospects on daily basis and never get tired of doing so. This is real selling. The salesman should constantly be on the move. He is like a minister of the gospel who goes about spreading the good news. The good news must be heard by all!
Selling is an active profession. There is nothing like an ‘‘armchair salesman.’’ You just have to ensure that you get things done. Your product should be on every shelf within your sales territory. This is your calling as a salesman. Let your worth be felt.
George O. Emetuche
Brian Tracy endorsed bestselling author, speaker, and sales trainer.
In recognition of his relentless and dogged commitment to effective healthcare service delivery in the country, the Director General, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) Professor Babatunde Salako has been honoured with the Africa’s Icon of Medical Transformation award on February 6, 2017.
The award, which was presented to him by the African Students Union Parliament (ASUP) at the NIMR’s Institute Boardroom, was witnessed by senior staff members of the institute, ASUP executives and press men.
Speaking on the selection of Prof. Salako for the position, the ASUP Speaker, Abel Kewul described the NIMR DG as a leader who has dedicated his time and talents to serve the common good of mankind in accordance to the Pan –Africanism Ideology.
The ASUP Speaker, Abel Kewul, presenting the award to Prof.Babatunde Salako, at the event.
Kewul further explained reasons for the choice of Prof. Salako for the award, listing his purposeful leadership, which has resulted in all facets of his specialty, especially with regards to administrative and medical services, management acumen, health sector strategic development, qualitative healthcare delivery, training and research development, community and economic development, student and youth empowerment, national peace and international harmony, charity to the less privilege, and lots more.
Following the World Cancer Day celebrated on every February 4, the World Health Organisation has stated that Nigeria has the highest number of cancer cases in Africa, with 10,000 deaths annually.
In order to stem this ugly tide, a new test has shown prove to prevent cancer patients from undergoing chemotherapy. According to a report published on DailyMailonline, it stated that using a genetic test could tell doctors which breast cancer sufferers need the powerful treatment.
The reports further stated that thousands of women with breast cancer could be spared the gruelling ordeal of chemotherapy, a trial suggests. A trial led by experts at the University Hospital of South Manchester suggests 63 per cent of women with the most common form of breast cancer could avoid chemotherapy by using a genetic test called Oncotype DX. Up to 6,000 a year in Britain could avoid the need for chemotherapy if the test was widely used, the results suggest.
The surgeon who led the trial, Professor Nigel Bundred explained the essence of Chemotherapy, stating that it is commonly used after surgery to stop breast cancer returning. But by analysing the genetic make-up of the tumour, scientists can now calculate the likelihood of the cancer returning, allowing them to identify women at low-risk.
“Deciding whether to have chemotherapy is a big decision for women in this position to make”.”'Their life is on hold for six months while the treatment is completed, they may lose their hair and there is fatigue and other side effects”.
“But they are also deciding about the risk of recurrence – it is a decision they will have to live with for the next five or ten years of their life. This test helps give women more certainty about their decision.' NHS watchdog NICE issued guidance approving use of the Oncotype DX test in September 2013”.
But since then only 9,200 women have been given the test – fewer than 3,000 a year. Experts hope the new findings, published in the European Journal of Surgical Oncology, will see wider use of the test. One reason for low take-up is thought to be the price of the test – £2,580 minus a confidential NHS discount.
It was reported in some national dailies on Monday that patients of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospitals have allegedly charged nurses in the hospital for stealing and reselling their drugs to them.
Information gathered from the patients revealed that some of the nurses have unofficially converted themselves to drug vendors, by selling the stolen drugs from patients at cheaper rates to other patients. It was learnt that because the patients’ names are not written against the drugs, it makes it easier for the nurses to steal them.
In a reaction to this allegation, speaking with pharmanewsonline.com, the Chairman, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) Mr Awojide has said that the issue requires urgent investigation, as nurses are well paid than descending so low to the demeaning act of stealing patients’ drugs.
Awojide who disclosed his amazement at the development, expressed his disbelief in the allegation, calling for immediate inquiry into the case.”One thing is sure; there is urgent need for investigation into the issue, because both senior and junior nurses’ officers are well paid. I don’t believe any nurse can exhibit such heinous character”.
Awojide further emphasised on the need to correct a widespread misconception about nurses, saying that it is generally believed that all females in uniform in the hospitals are nurses, whereas it is not so. He said aside nurses; there are other staffs like clerks, social workers, and cleaners who wear uniform in the hospitals.
He therefore pleaded with the patients to exercise some patient, that perpetrators of the evil act will be brought to book.
The Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria (OSN) and the South East Ophthalmologist's Forum (SEOF) in partnership with Pfizer have raised the alarm over the scourge of eye threatening disease- Glaucoma in the five South Eastern states of Nigeria.
Rising from a one- day symposium on the effect of the dreaded eye ailment in Enugu, the experts unanimously asserted that unless urgent steps are taken by policymakers to stem the tide, an appreciable percentage of residents of the affected states in the zone might go blind in no distant time.
The conveners explained that their fears were informed by the outcome of a research conducted by the eye care specialists in the country which showed that the South East has the highest prevalence of severe visual impairments of people over 40 years, with two per cent of residents of the zone already down with the disease.
L:R: Professor of Ophthalmology, Former Deputy Vice –Chancellor, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Director, Global Health Initiative, Prof.Rich Enujioke Umeh; Guinness Eye Centre, Nnamdi Azikwe University Teaching Hosiptal (NAUTH) Onitsha, Prof. Lawrence Onyekwe; Chief Consultant Ophthalmologist, The Eye Specialists Hospital (TESH) Enugu Dr.(Mrs) Nkiru Akaraiwe at the Enugu Glaucoma Symposium held in Enugu
Interestingly, specialists from all the specialist hospitals in Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo states converged in Enugu state for a one-day brainstorming session on how to find solution to the problem.
The forum also planned new strategies and would commence fresh research on why the zone is the worst hit compared to other zones of the country.
The Director of Corporate Affairs Pfizer, Margaret Olele, intimated the audience on how Pfizer is committed to contributing positively to patient care in our communities with relevant stakeholders to reduce the burden of Glaucoma. The Glaucoma Symposium was designed to update healthcare professionals on the latest advances in medical and surgical management of Glaucoma.It highlights insights in Glaucoma management, medicals, surgical techniques and the burden of Glaucoma in Sub- Saharan Africa and Nigeria.
Addressing newsmen as the session progressed, the chairperson of SEOF, Professor Rich Umeh stated that the aggressive approach had become imperative in the war against Glaucoma. “This is where the media, church and community groups come in. Everybody has to join this campaign to stem the tide”.
Also, the National President of the Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria, Prof. Sebastine Nwosu and the facilitator of the forum, Dr. Nkiru Akaraiwe said the challenge had become worrisome to them. Prof. Sebastine Nwosu urged persons whose relatives suffered eye diseases not to hesitate in subjecting their own eyes to regular tests. Emphasising the prevalence of Glaucoma in the zone, the medical experts, noted that it would be terrible if they failed to do anything despite their training as ophthalmologists and urged affected families to approach specialists in good time.
According to the specialists, Glaucoma blindness was the commonest eye disease in the zone with prevalence rate of 1.2 percent compared to other zones with less than 0.3 per cent. The implications, they noted was that out of every 100 blind persons, one or two would have Glaucoma.
“This is obviously genetic, not because of what we eat or drink. We want to alert people on the need to go through eye checks once or twice every year. If you have a relative that had eye problem, the person is blind, it simply means you have to subject your entire family to go through Glaucoma check immediately because Glaucoma will not give you any signal before it comes, Prof. Umeh noted.
She noted that though research was conducted ten years ago, other studies done segmentally have shown that the situation had even worsened, adding that it had become imperative for specialists, and policy makers to equally come up with new strategies.
Group photograph of HOD at the Glaucoma Symposium in Enugu
“Forty years is actually the most active year and it will be unthinkable for young men to get to irreversible blindness. We must do something urgently “. She stated.
For Dr. Nkiru Kizor-Akariwe, “You rather lose a leg than lose your vision. So everybody should take advantage of the expertise offered by the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, the Park Lane Specialists Hospital, GRA Enugu and other Government hospitals across the South East “. Participants were drawn from various hospitals in the region.
NeuroAiD™ stroke treatment, marketed by Bolar Pharmaceuticals in Nigeria, has been named New Product Innovation of the Yearby Frost & Sullivan. This award recognizes healthcare products that are bringing innovative solutions for neurological disorders by pushing the boundaries of the usual practices. This award also acknowledges Moleac for its effort and continuous investment in NeuroAiDTM’s Research and Development. Mr. David Picard, CEO of Moleac, received the 2016 Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific New Product Innovation Award at the awards ceremony held at Conrad Singapore. The ceremony was attended by leaders from the healthcare sector.
Frost & Sullivan followed a rigorous measurement-based methodology to select NeuroAiD™ as the recipient. Its independent panel of judges included senior members across various offices at Frost & Sullivan. The judging panel looked at market performance indicators, including revenue growth, market share, availabilities, geographical expansion and marketing strategies.
Dr. M. Shaillender, Industry Analyst, Healthcare Practice – Asia Pacific at Frost & Sullivan, said, “Stroke rehabilitation is an underserved segment in the pharmaceutical industry. Moleac aims to address the existing gaps in stroke therapy with an unconventional approach similar to ’reverse innovation.’ NeuroAiD™ is a product originating from Traditional Chinese Medicine that has demonstrated excellent attributes in post-stroke recovery, however, without any scientific and clinical evidence. Moleac’s team was instrumental in identifying and decoding the underlying neuromodulatory properties to translate it into a therapeutic drug supported by clinical evidence for neurological disorders.”
He further adds, “As one of the first therapies of its kind, NeuroAiD™ is today accepted as an innovative treatment for post-stroke recovery. It is approved and marketed in over 35 countries as a supplement for stroke rehabilitation. Executing well in its vision, Moleac is on a trajectory to expand the horizons of NeuroAiD™into a mainstream therapeutic drug for neurological disorders.”
David Picard, CEO of Moleac, said, ”I am delighted to receive this award from Frost & Sullivan while we are celebrating the 10 years’ anniversary of NeuroAiD™. Having launched NeuroAiD™ in 2006, we have been focusing our efforts on making NeuroAiDTMavailable to stroke sufferers around the world. NeuroAiD™ is the first medicine to support stroke recovery, and this is a huge unserved need for millions of suffers. In 2016, over 20,000 patients benefited from NeuroAiD™ worldwide and we aim at making NeuroAiD™ available to more patients in the coming years.”
He continued to add, “I would like to thank all those who have contributed to NeuroAiDTM’s development over the past 10 years. This includes our academic partners, who have shown interest in our approach enabling its clinical development, our investors who have trusted us, and of course my colleagues who have made this venture a success. Without their support, NeuroAiD™ would not be where it is today. We keep investing in Research with several on-going clinical studies to provide first-class evidences of NeuroAiDTM’s benefits in other unserved neurological disorders.
Pharm Bolade Soremekun, CEO Bolar Pharmaceuticals receiving partnership award from David Picard, CEO Moleac.
Bolade Soremekun, CEO Bolar Pharmaceuticals Nigeria said “Bolar is delighted unserved neurological disorders.” to partner with Moleac in bringing NeuroAiD™ to Nigeria. NeuroAiD™ is a perfect fit for Bolar as we are not a generic company, but a company focused on searching for unique, research based, effective solutions for disease areas where current treatments are either inadequate, unavailable, or unaffordable. Stroke is one of such. NeuroAiD™ brings hope to millions of stroke sufferers in Nigeria and we are glad to partner with Neurologists, GPs and private and public sectors to make this life saving product available nationwide. Bolar also offers unique products in the areas of hepatitis, sickle cell, and immunity.”
NeuroAiD™ is a natural medicine originating from Traditional Chinese Medicine.
In addition to its excellent safety profile, clinical trials have shown that patients taking NeuroAiD™ for 3 months have higher chances to reach functional recovery, with prolonged benefits over the long-term as published in Cerebrovascular Diseases (April 2015). About 3,000 subjects have been included in clinical trials and Moleac is currently supporting additional international clinical trials to demonstrate the potential of NeuroAiD™ in other neurological disorders.
About Moleac: Moleac is a Singapore-based biopharmaceutical company that dedicates itselfto finding and developing new medicines for the unmet needs of patients worldwide.
About Bolar: Bolar is a Nigerian Pharmaceutical company which has partnered with Moleac to market and distribute NeuroAiDTMin Nigeria. Bolar is focused on identifying researched based natural, herbal and chemical remedies that address unmet medical needs and are useful in therapeutic areas where current treatments are either unavailable, inadequate, or unaffordable.
About NeuroAiD™: NeuroAiD™ is a post-stroke recovery treatment to help stroke survivors achieve a faster and better recovery. It currently reaches out to patients in over 35 countries.
It’s a new year and we are delighted to present to you value-added services that have been specially designed to bring happenings and updates in the health industry closer to you. They are:
Pharmanews e-Edition on PDF
Through the monthly e-edition of Pharmanews, our readers from all over the world now have access to the digital replica of the journal anytime, anywhere. Additionally, the e-edition is enhanced with the latest digital tools to ensure quality layout and user-friendliness. This is now available as an app on Google play store.
Nigerian Pharmaceutical Directory (NPD) e-Edition on PDF
As with Pharmanews, we now produce the e-edition of the highly rated Nigerian Pharmaceutical Directory, which provides you with comprehensive, up-to-date information on the pharmaceutical industry and health institutions.
Pharmanews and NPD Apps on Android, iOS & Windows Phone
With the newly launched Pharmanews Android, Windows and iOS applications, stories in Pharmanews – including those promoting advertisers’ products and services – can now be instantly viewed on mobile devices, anytime, anywhere in the world. Similarly, the Nigerian Pharmaceutical Directory app offers the benefits of convenience and easy access to comprehensive information about the Nigerian pharmaceutical industry. Both apps can be downloaded from Google play store, iOS App store and Windows store.
Pharmanews Website:
Pharmanews website (www.pharmanewsonline.com) has become one of the leading online health news portals, with a daily traffic of thousands of global visitors, especially healthcare professionals. Visit the website for news, analyses, opinions and trends concerning the health industry.
Pharmanews Electronic Archive – PDF
Pharmanews electronic archive is a compilation of past editions of Pharmanews in portable device format (PDF). It is compiled in yearly volumes of 12 editions from 1979. This gives you unlimited access to reports of past events, as well as trends in the industry.
We shall continue to develop additional value-added services to keep you informed in more convenient ways.
Heads of state from across Africa adopted a Declaration on Universal Access to Immunization in Africa, in which they endorsed the Addis Declaration on Immunization, a historic and timely pledge to ensure that everyone in Africa – regardless of who they are or where they live – receives the full benefits of immunization. The endorsement was issued during the 28th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
While Africa has made impressive gains over the last 15 years toward increasing access to immunization, progress has stagnated, and the continent is falling behind on meeting global immunization targets. One in five children in Africa still does not receive basic life-saving vaccines and, as a result, vaccine-preventable diseases continue to claim too many lives. Measles alone accounts for approximately 61,000 preventable deaths in the African region every year.
“We know that universal access to immunization is achievable,” noted outgoing African Union Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. “The Addis Declaration on Immunization is a historic pledge. With political support at the highest levels, we are closer than ever to ensuring that all children in Africa have an equal shot at a healthy and productive life.”
The Addis Declaration on Immunization calls for countries to increase political and financial investments in their immunization programmes. It includes 10 commitments, including increasing vaccine-related funding, strengthening supply chains and delivery systems, and making universal access to vaccines a cornerstone of health and development efforts. The full declaration can be found below.
“Vaccines are among the most effective public health tools available,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa. “When children are given a healthy start, communities thrive and economies grow stronger. This show of support from Heads of State is a significant step forward in our efforts to achieve universal access to immunization and, ultimately, improve child health and drive sustainable development across Africa.”
Fewer than 15 African countries fund more than 50% of their national immunization programmes. As Africa nears polio eradication, critical funding for immunization through the polio eradication programme is expected to ramp down. Additionally, countries approaching middle-income status will transition away from Gavi support for immunization in the coming years. Consequently, governments must redouble their efforts to make universal immunization coverage a national priority.
“As long as even one child in Africa lacks access to immunization, our work remains unfinished,” said Dr Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. “With the right mix of political will, financial resources and technical acumen, Africa can – and will – stem the tide of vaccine-preventable diseases across the continent.”
With strong leadership and investment, increased access to immunization is within reach. For example, in 2010, Ethiopia built 16,000 new health centres, purchased 2,000 battery-free solar refrigerators for vaccine storage, and built a network of millions of health extension workers and volunteers at community level to increase access to immunization throughout the country. Since these investments were made, Ethiopia has made remarkable gains, with immunization rates soaring from 61% in 2010 to 86% in 2015.
“Immunization is one of the smartest investments a country can make in its future,” said H.E. Professor Yifru Berhan Mitke, Ethiopia’s Minister of Health. “We must do more to protect all our children from preventable diseases – not only because it is the right thing to do, but also because it makes economic sense. When our children are healthy, our families, communities and countries thrive.”
The Addis Declaration on Immunization was signed by Ministers of Health and other line ministers at the Ministerial Conference on Immunization in Africa (MCIA) in February 2016 in Addis Ababa. MCIA was the first-ever ministerial-level gathering with a singular focus on ensuring that children across the continent can access life-saving vaccines. To guide the implementation of the ADI, a roadmap is being developed in close collaboration with the WHO offices in the African Region and Eastern Mediterranean Region, the African Union Commission and immunization partners.
“African leaders are showing outstanding leadership by endorsing this landmark commitment which will allow more African children to be reached with life-saving vaccines no matter where they live,” said Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Chair of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance board. “We must now ensure that the commitments translate into sustainable financing for immunization. Gavi stands ready to support African countries in their efforts to implement equitable health approaches and maintain strong immunization coverage so we can create together a more prosperous future for communities across our continent.”
It was a colourful celebration of selfless service, as the Association of Lady Pharmacists (ALPs) Lagos branch organised a special 2016 Forum, to appreciate past and present executives of the association,
The event, which was the first in the history of the association, was graced by Dr (Mrs) Ogori Taylor, FPSN, Prof. B.O Silva, dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, UNILAG; Prof. Olukemi Odukoya, former dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, UNILAG; Pharm. Bisi Bright, CEO, LiveWell Initiative; Pharm. (Mrs) Moyosore Adejumo, DPS, Lagos State; Pharm. Margaret Obono, Pharm. Dere Awosika, representatives of women groups and others.
Addressing the audience, ALPs Lagos Chairperson, Pharm. Dupe Ologunagba, thanked every member of the association, who had contributed to its success in the outgoing year, while appreciating the Almighty God for His faithfulness and benevolence to all the members in the state.
A cross-section of Alpians cutting the ALPs Forum 2016 cake.
She disclosed that the special forum was a way of appreciating all who had served the association, in one capacity or the other, since its inception three decades ago.
“Today, these selfless, honourable and distinguished ALPians shall be formally celebrated. Unfortunately, some of these heroes have fallen, but their services will remain green in our hearts as legacies and templates for the upcoming generation,” she said.
The event, which also served as end-of-year get-to-gather and thanksgiving forum for the association, was used to recognise all the supporters of the organisation, for their immense contributions.
Ologunagba further listed projects implemented by the group in 2016 to include hosting of the 12th Biennial National Conference of the association, tagged, “The Lady Pharmacist in Strategic National Development” in the first quarter of the year; School Health and Moral Programme at Reagean Baptist Secondary School in Yaba; participation in the Lagos Pharmacy Week, with a programme on Drug Abuse and Misuse, which focused on youths in Mushin, Lagos State; Cancer Awareness and Sensitisation programme among Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) in the state; among others.
She also revealed that, for the year 2017, her vision is to ensure that the association attains greater heights and impacts more in its socio-professional outreach.
In her words: “ALPs desires to undertake the second phase of her Cancer Awareness Sensitisation and Screening Programme in collaboration with TBAS groups in the state, and it will be community based. ALPs will also execute her School Health and Moral Programme. These programmes will be undertaken in the first and second quarters of the year.”
She however noted the areas of improvement for the association to include strategic membership drive and collaboration with pharmaceutical organisations in school moral and health programmes.
The keynote speaker, Dr (Mrs.) Ogori Taylor, tasked lady pharmacists to begin a crusade on consumption of local foods, saying Nigeria ranked among countries with the largest number of malnourished children.
Taylor, who recently retired from the World Health Organisation (WHO), stated that evidences from empirical studies suggested link between malnutrition and mental retardation, a condition that continues to affect a considerable number of Nigerian children.
The former WHO employee further decried the rate of consumption of noodles, coloured foods and other sweeteners among Nigerian children, saying these classes of foods are worse than fast foods in terms of nutrient deficiency.
“From childhood, let us inculcate the culture of eating vegetables, fruits and other natural foods into our children, instead of them craving for junks and synthesised foods which add no value to their development,” Taylor said.
She also spoke on the prevalence of communicable diseases among adults, saying this can be prevented through daily exercise and eating of nine portions of fruits and vegetables daily.
Professors Odukoya and Silva in their goodwill messages to the association appreciated the members for their good works while urging them to do more and pursue excellence in their various aspects of pharmacy profession.
The highpoint of the occasion was the presentation of awards to the past and present executives of the association; while Pharm. Bunmi Laja emerged as “ALPian of the year.”
Pharm. Sam Oghene-Etatuvie is the director general of the Nigerian Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA). In this exclusive interview with Temitope Obayendo, he decried the poor attention given to the country’s rich medicinal plants, emphasising the need for pharmacists to revert to the development of local herbs for the holistic well-being of the citizenry. Excerpts:
Tell us a little about yourself sir
I am a graduate of Pharmacy from the University of Benin. I started off like every other pharmacist, beginning my practice from the hospital. I advanced to the community, and then landed at the Nigerian Natural Medicine Development Agency as a chief researcher. By the special grace of God, I devoted my time to the job and I was able to rise through the ranks to become the director general of the agency in May, 2015.
Information about natural medicine is gaining prominence, as it appears more people are choosing natural medicines over orthodox ones. What is the agency doing to boost the development of these local medicines?
This agency was established in 1997 with the major mandate to research, develop, promote and conserve Nigerian natural medicines resources, which have the medicinal and the non-medicinal aspects – which include bone-setting, herbal medicines, bio-resources. We are aware that there is a global resurgence in natural medicines awareness; basically, because people are taking responsibility for their own health than before.
There is this general assumption that natural medicines have no side-effects, are cheaper, easily accessible and affordable. These are the factors drawing people to natural medicines. And the concept of natural medicine is holistic, combined both for spiritual and physical well being. Unlike orthodox medicines, which are treatment-based and diseases-driven.
Over the years, the World Health Organisation has encouraged governments across the globe to develop their traditional medicines knowledge, stressing that this is a way of making healthcare services more accessible to all. What is your take on this?
Our practice deals more with the traditional practice area. We are not interested in isolation and characterisation of the active substance. We want to do it the way of traditional practice. To facilitate this, we do a lot of training for the practitioners, but our trainings have been limited these days, due to inadequate funding.
Normally, we pay the participants’ transportation and feeding. Our research focuses on malaria prevention, focusing on herbs with scientifically-proven antiplasmodium agents, while promoting herbal extracts with insecticide-treated nets for the management of malaria.
Government is interested in local production of herbal products; but the challenge is how to make raw materials available. Many practitioners go into the bush to source for these materials.
Following the recent increase in the demand for herbal products, many citizens who could not differentiate between standardised and substandard herbal medicines have ended up with kidney diseases. Has the agency taken any step to curb the activities of charlatans?
A lot of information is on the Internet as there are lots of people engaging in the sales of herbal products on the streets and in marketplaces. Their operations negate the laid down rules for the storage of these drugs. We have reached out to the people concerned and discussed better ways of practising with them.
We have a programme on WAP TV called “Health Wise”. We discuss what people should look out for and the importance of getting products that are NAFDAC listed. We also organise Herbfest, an annual event where practitioners, scientists and entrepreneurs come together to share experiences on the practice.
Shouldn’t there be a campaign against the use of herbs paraded on the streets or in the open markets?
The mandate for control belongs to NAFDAC. Our role is recommendation and advisory on how to go about the best practice of herbal products. More of what we do is advocacy and public enlightenment against irrational use of these products.
We also monitor the production of these herbal products. For dosage, since dosage is part of production, it is the owner of the product that knows the actual dosage for a preparation. From about ten years ago, packaging of herbal drugs has drastically improved from what it used to be. That is one of the impacts of our trainings on the practitioners. Formerly, they wrapped their products in cellophane bags, Coca-Cola bottles and so on; but we are moving away from that era now. In fact, NAFDAC has made packaging one of the criteria to make a herbal medicine listed.
Also, we encourage limiting the number of plants in one formula because this makes some drugs more concentrated and injurious to health. Even if a practitioner has up to five plants in a medicine, there must be one greater activity.
Nigeria is blessed with numerous medicinal plants, but just a fraction of these are utilised for the well-being of the citizens. Could you explain reasons for this sir?
It is so because we haven’t been able to document properly. If you look at the practice, it is transfer from one generation to the other. In fact, this is one of our core areas of strength – documentation. We need to document the practice for continuity in practice. The essence of our documentation is to ensure that the agency has what we call the national comprehensive inventory of medicinal plants. Once we do that, we will be able to put it in book and practitioners will have access to them.
We also encourage practitioners to document their own formulas, in order to prevent scarcity of information on the practice. Prior to this time, most aged practitioners died with their knowledge without passing it to the next generation. Although some people think everything herbal is fetish, it is not so. This country has very huge numbers bio-resources in the nine geological areas and six geopolitical zones. We have places like the Obudu Cattle Ranch, Osogbo Groove, Mambila Plateau and others. All these places have special climatic conditions which produce special effects in the medicinal plants grown there.
We must document to narrow down on areas of specialisation. This enables researchers to work better on pharmacopeia.
Since there is abundance of medicinal plants in the country, how can healthcare practitioners and entrepreneurs leverage this for economic empowerment in the face of on-going recession?
This is the period when people and pharmacists in particular need to turn on their innovative and creativity skills. It is unfortunate that most of the herbal medicine s consumed in the country are imported from China, Germany, India and Indonesia; yet these countries do not have more bio-resources than Nigeria. It is also sad to know that some pharmacists who are trained in the art of drug formulation have even distanced themselves from the practice of herbal medicines. Most of us are comfortable with importation and distribution of conventional drugs.
The production of herbal medicine is a comfort zone for those who studied pharmacognosy. Although it could be time-consuming, the truth of the matter is that pharmacists can formulate local herbs as substitutes for all these conventional drugs on arthritis, cold, malaria, fever, and so on. Most of these medicinal plants have been empirically proven to be safe for consumption.
Lack of interest, innovation and knowledge has hindered pharmacists from specialising in this area. If pharmacists knew what is derivable from the practice, many of them would be willing to come back. But we are used to community practice, where they retail Forever Living Products and make quick money. Many pharmacists have been into network marketing, but I think with time and more enlightenment, they will retrace their footsteps.
What is your advice to healthcare practitioners on revenue generation from medicinal plants?
Basically, as practitioners, we are guided by our oath of office; we should operate by the tenets of the profession. We should be more service-oriented, do more research, and get patents in order to get international collaboration.
LEADERSHIP INSPIRATIONS FOR EXCELLENCE (LIFE) SERIES
By Pharm. Lere Baale
There is only one success – to spend your life
in your own way. – Christopher Morley
I knew a man who loved to knit. Blankets, quilts, sweaters – he knitted them all. Knitting was his hobby, his escape. He could choose another hobby – something a bit more masculine, like restoring vintage cars or hunting. But this man stuck to what made him happy – knitting.
He had discovered knitting when he was only a little boy who didn’t know any better. As he grew into his teenage years he was made aware of the fact that knitting wasn’t a common hobby for a boy – that it’s usually a hobby chosen by girls or by “boys who like to wear high heels,” as his older brother would say.
Over time, after being ridiculed by his brother and others, he eventually asked himself a question: “Are the opinions others have about knitting at all relevant to my experience of knitting( as a hobby?” And he immediately realised the answer was: “No!” So he kept enjoying the hobby that made him happy.
What dictates your decisions?
It’s fascinating how we make certain decisions in life. Sometimes we follow our heart and intuition and we choose the thing that makes the most sense to us – that which makes us happy. Other times we follow our fears and expectations, especially those spawned by the culture and society we live in, and we choose whatever we believe will most appease those fears and expectations – that which makes everyone else (or no one at all) happy.
The man in the above story stuck to knitting even when he learnt about the cultural and societal expectations that suggested he should give it up. But he didn’t always carry forth with this same open minded attitude. For instance, he believed for as long as he could remember that he would someday find the perfect mate. And he knew exactly what she would be like. He told me the story about her that he had inscribed in his head since when he was in high school. The beginning of the story went thus:
I’ve always dreamed that someday I would meet the perfect mate. She would be smart and classy, yet sexy and athletic. And she would be a geek like me. I wouldn’t care what her religious background was, so long as she had an open mind and an honest heart. But she would have to be neat and tidy, because I’m not and I need someone who can balance me out.
And she would love to snuggle, like me. Because I would want to hold her at night, and because we would need to be close so we could fool around and giggle and talk softly to each other. We would talk about people, places, our lives and our future together for hours into the night. And money wouldn’t matter to either of us because we’d be in love. She’d know it and I’d know it, and we’d be happy with what we had.
The stories that we tell ourselves and each other sound remarkable, don’t they? They romanticise us. They sweep us off our feet. They persuade us to believe that if we dive head first into an intimate relationship, a big financial purchase, greasy foods, imported beers, or whatever it is that temporarily pacifies our worried mind from reality, then we will somehow find what we are truly looking for.
Our obvious dilemma is that reality is not temporary. Reality keeps on coming. That intimate relationship will have our heart blissfully skipping beats until it doesn’t any longer. That big financial purchase will be fun and exciting until it isn’t any longer. Greasy foods and beer will comfort us until they don’t any longer.
Liberating realisation
The man who loved to knit soon came to realise the temporary, restrictive nature of the stories we tell ourselves. Because the ending to his story about his perfect mate – the part that comes after the introduction I shared with you above – is about a woman who was amazing (almost perfect) but who didn’t quite t the mould of the woman from the story he had in his head.
Sadly, he was unable to give up the perfect woman from his story for the amazing woman sitting in front of him. When she eventually realised this, she moved on.
Gradually this man, too, began to move( on. He began to slowly rediscover his true self – the self he knew when he was younger before he started telling himself stories, or buying into the stories, fears and expectations of those who lurked around him. This self was a blank canvas, free to experience and appreciate everything just the way it was, without the burden of a storyline.
And as he slowly rediscovered himself, he struggled with the notion of life without a storyline. Because he could barely remember what life was like when there was no story, no fears, no expectations. But he knew deep down that he once lived in a world free of them. And when he did, he discovered knitting and fell in love with( it. It became one of his greatest sources of happiness. And he knew that if he wanted to fall in love like that again, he must get back to that story-free world within himself, where happiness is found.
By Oluwole A Williams, Bpharm (lfe), PharmD (Howard)(practising in Glenside, Pennsylvania, USA)
Employers of labour in Pharmacy as in other industries normally seek to recruit candidates who are not only professionally qualified or licensed, they want persons with a flair for the type of business their organisation is engaged in. Corporations therefore expend precious resources and care in the recruitment process to arrive at a selection of candidates unto whom their businesses are entrusted for performances locally or internationally.
If an employee turns down an offer of employment or resigns an appointment after only a few weeks or months on the job, it turns out a painful derangement and disruption of business services for the company; in many cases, because some valuable training typically would have been invested on the individual in question.
Many corporations plan to retain their employees for as long as it is economically and financially feasible for their businesses and they equally have good retirement plans and healthcare benefits for their workers. Some also offer sponsorships for postgraduate trainings locally or overseas, including college grants for staff members’ families. The question thus becomes bothersome when there are instances of “Resignation of Appointment” or abrupt “quits” from the job as frequently seen in some aspects of community pharmacy employment.
There was a recent story of a new grad in Pennsylvania who was offered employment by a specialty pharmacy after a protracted screening and interview process and was given an offer of employment. The candidate went through the new-hire trainings too but did not resume for employment on the expected date due to a better “offer” given elsewhere.
There was another new grad, again in Pennsylvania, who accepted the offer of pharmacy manager position in a chain store and after working for only five months resigned and took up appointment elsewhere in a different sector of pharmacy practice and in another corporation!
Posers
The questions of concern therefore are – Why do people resign after only a short time on the job? What could the employer have done to persuade the employee to remain? What could be done to the Daily Schedule to make the job more satisfying? What attractions or interests could employers incorporate into the job descriptions to reduce dissatisfaction? How may the employer assign support staff in the daily schedule to assuage frustrations on the job? How may the corporation present opportunities for career growth to new recruits to encourage them stay working for future growth?
Acceptance of an offer of employment in Pharmacy and duration/tenure of office may be influenced by a number of factors particularly in times of ample occupational opportunities. Here in North America, for instance, few fresh grads in Pharmacy would accept offers of employment in places like: Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico or The Virgin Islands, not only because these places are not contiguous with The United States mainland but because of other socio-economic and cultural factors.
Moreover some young graduates may have decided to pursue secondary academic qualifications immediately upon graduation and the thought of employment relocation to a far place may be unattractive notwithstanding the fantastic salaries offered them.
Some factors listed below may constitute strong disincentives for someone entering the retail pharmacy job market for example:
Distance to the new job location and or availability of affordable accommodation in the area.
Licensing, training requirements, and job description at start-up, including the administration of injections or physical examination of patients in states where pharmacists offer provider services.
Social infrastructures, physical development and cultural activities at the prospective location of employment.
Professional career prospects for growth and development within the organisation offering employment relative to the personal aspiration of the individual.
Employment benefits offered during the interview process and how clearly explainable or understandable these peps were to the prospective employee.
Marital status of person who is being offered employment, and family size for those already married.
Public image or regional comments in the media amongst the people about the organisation offering employment and the impressions of prospective recruits of the local community.
Geological and environmental facts or climate in the state or region of employment. Compare, for instance, the weather in Arizona, California to those of Oklahoma, Florida, and Missouri. While Alaska, Oklahoma and the State of Washington are prone to earthquakes and could attract a young adventurer graduate, the same may not hold for a middle age pharmacist with a family of four seeking relocation.
Pointers
Pharmacists, by their rigorous training and diverse exposure, are ably suited to work and function in many spheres of healthcare services, including hospitals, retail pharmacy, mail-order, MTM services and in the academia or teaching hospitals, and upon graduation could take up employment anywhere after completion of licensing requirements in the state where they wish to live and work. Some pharmacists go so far as to acquire three or more state licenses in a bid to be free and eligible for professional service opportunities in Tri-State Areas, offering their skills for the benefit of the people.
However, we still find a preponderance of high employee turnover and short tenure of employment amongst pharmacists particularly those in retail chain stores, stemming from job-dissatisfaction unrelated to remuneration and which may account for the high turnover of pharmacists.
Perhaps a survey may reveal interesting reviews. For instance, respondents may be asked “What is your primary motivation on a job”? Is it the pay, or is it schedule of work? Is it the benefits + annual vacation? Or, in rare cases, is it for unavailability of alternative employment and would you leave as soon as you find another offer elsewhere? Or, could it be the cul-de-sac effect? For example a pharmacy manager in one retail chain really has few, if any, prospects for career advancement beyond that single store location. Unlike hospital pharmacists who may fare better if there is a school of pharmacy on-site attached to the hospital because the career staff may serve in academic roles, teaching undergraduate students thus developing a diversity in professional service life.
Retail pharmacists typically have fewer options for an exciting professional life though things appear to be changing with the introduction of Clinical Provider Services in some states thus far.
Perks
One of the ways to enhance employee productivity and job satisfaction in retail pharmacies could be by a periodic and deliberate annual appreciation system. Motivate your employees by pointing out the good things they are doing in taking care of the health of their community. Complement them by assuring them they are contributing to global reduction of disease spread.
Post the statistics in large letters where they have done well. Let them know the company appreciates their good work and extend to them or acquaint them with available company benefits for those desiring to earn additional qualifications particularly for postgraduate studies.
Educate employees about the corporate goals of the organisation and let them know how they may advance professionally within the company. Teach employees or advise them on how to plan for their future through acquisition of alternative economic skills or marketable skills, including occupational diversification for future career goals.
Vulnerability to unemployment engendered by national or regional economic downturn demands that employees understand why the company could not effect wage raises nor offer bonuses and it explains why they need be appreciative of the current employment they hold.
Akhabue is president of the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigeria Students (PANS), University of Benin (UNIBEN) Chapter. In this exclusive interview with Pharmanews, the 500-level pharmacy student reveals some of his programmes and achievements since he came into office, as well as why he thinks Pharmanews publisher, Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi deserves special recognition from pharmacy students. Excerpts:
Whose decision was it for you to study Pharmacy?
Basically mine. I got interested in Pharmacy during my second attempt at JAMB, after doing a thorough research on all my career options.
You recently emerged PANS-UNIBEN president; what prompted your decision to contest for the post and what are your plans for pharmacy students?
In my early days in pharmacy school, I led a very serious lifestyle, caring mostly for my academics and those of the few friends I made. However, in the course of my sojourn here, I realised that it was useless to try to affect just a few lives, when there was a platform to affect more. I decided to form a group called ‘Beats Initiative’ with my friends. It was a platform for academic mentorship. But even this wasn’t enough to satisfy my passion to impact lives. So, the only viable option left for me was PANS presidency, and here I am.
My plans for pharmacy students are encapsulated in helping to develop and stimulate them towards exploring their own potentials. And in this light, PANS-UNIBEN is about to record a milestone achievement by being the first PANS chapter to train its students in the use of ICT, especially as regards pharmacy practice.
We are also not forgetting to improve on the aesthetic condition of the faculty. Hence, we have proposed a state of the art recreational garden where our students can hang out and enjoy the facilities therein.
In all of these, we are conscious to project the profession in a better light and this we are doing by carrying out health outreaches focused on malaria eradication and drug misuse/abuse to secondary schools.
How would you assess the contribution of Pharmanews to the development of the pharmacy profession?
I have to specially applaud our role model, the man who’s got the profession in his blood and has sacrificed so much to bring it to where it is right now in Nigeria. A big ‘thank you’ to Pharm. Ifeanyi Atueyi for not just making such a resourceful journal available to all and sundry in the profession, but for doing so absolutely free of charge for all pharmacy students. For this, PANS UNIBEN is honouring him with the Pharm E.A. OSADOLOR Lifetime Achiever Award this year during our annual Pharmacy Week.
He is indeed, a rare gem that must be celebrated. Pharmanews is no doubt the widest circulating pharmacy journal in Nigeria and beyond. I must say I am very impressed with how far Pharmanews has come, especially with the introduction of the Pharmanews mobile applications which have made the journal more handy and accessible for students.
What grey areas in the pharmacy profession do you want stakeholders at this year’s PSN conference to address?
Pharmacy is a profession that I have come to realise offers many opportunities. The question is, how many young intending pharmacists are aware of the opportunities the profession offers? This leads us to the problem of lack of free flow of information across the ranks of the profession. Very few young pharmacists are aware of the mentorship programme put in place by the leadership of PSN in Nigeria.
We also have the problem of archaic and rigid laws governing the practice of pharmacy in Nigeria. These laws tend to offer patent medicine dealers freedom to operate, to the detriment of pharmacists; and this has placed young pharmacists especially at a disadvantage. Those in charge of enforcing pharmacy laws seem to be more concerned about regulating pharmacists than patent medicine dealers who now even sell prescription drugs.
These problems need urgent intervention in order to salvage the image and rich history of the profession. Pharmacy laws are so limiting that, in order to find a way around it, malpractice and quackery becomes inevitable to some people.
Lastly, I will not forget the big problem of disunity in the profession. This has ridiculed the profession in the eyes of many, including patients.
As a student, what would you say are the challenges facing pharmacy education and how can these be surmounted?
I think the pharmacy curriculum itself poses a whole lot of problems with so much emphasis on the theoretical aspect, especially in the clinical areas. There is also the cumbersome nature of pharmacy students’ training, which explains why many intending pharmacists score low in social communication as they are confined to their books, classrooms and laboratories.
These problems can be surmounted by restructuring the curriculum to involve more practical interactions in clinical areas and to offer opportunities for pharmacists in training to excel in relationship skills. I also think that irrelevant areas in the curriculum should be totally removed. An example is the funny search for trichomes in pharmacognosy practicals.
Very importantly, students should be consulted in the development of this curriculum so as to come up with a balanced curriculum that will take every stakeholder into consideration.
What do you think government can do to improve the standard of pharmacy education in Nigeria?
Pharmacy is a core health profession and, as such, any government that takes the health of its people seriously should also take the training of pharmacists even more seriously. The Nigerian government needs to urgently address the issue of inadequate infrastructure and manpower in pharmacy schools. Our laboratories are calling for serious upgrade. Moreover, hospitals and the preceptors at government-owned hospitals, where intending pharmacists visit as part of their training process, should receive a facelift. This will create room for pharmacy students to do more of patient interaction, which is the hallmark of the Doctor of Pharmacy programme.
I also think that the college system should be revisited so as to offer pharmacy students good time to master the courses that make up the curriculum.
How do you balance academic work with the demands of PANS leadership?
The key is proper time management. We know that time management is self-management. To reduce stress, I constantly delegate duties and responsibilities while ensuring that every job is done appropriately. This offers me ample time to work and study effectively.
In which area of Pharmacy would you like to practise and why?
I am looking at the pharmaceutical industry. However, I’ll focus more on processing of excipients and APIs as they are largely imported currently. Also, I see it as a fertile ground yet to be exploited maximally in the local scene. This, of course, will be after I have garnered enough hands-on experience in the pharmaceutical industry.
Where do you see PANS-UNIBEN by the time you will be leaving office?
I envisage that PANS UNIBEN will be in a far better state than I met it. By that time, I am expecting that the next administration will focus more on advancing the human capital development of the students, an initiative which we would have spearheaded.
The name “Arinze Awiligwe” is, no doubt, one that rings a bell among young pharmacists in Nigeria and beyond. A pharmacy graduate from the University of Lagos and former national president, Pharmaceutical Association of Nigeria Students (PANS), he spearheaded the process that led to the enlistment of PANS Nigeria into the membership of the International Pharmaceutical Students Federation (IPSF) in 2013. In this exclusive interview with Pharmanews, Awiligwe reveals the circumstances that led to his emergence as IPSF chairperson for Africa for 2016/2017, the first Nigerian to attain such feat. He also discusses his administration’s plan for the association. Excerpts:
You must have set some objectives yourself when you were in pharmacy school; how much of these have been achieved so far?
To be honest, I would say that these objectives are still playing out because they are huge and even I sometimes consider them incredible. I am constantly ensuring that I set the right foundations to reach my dreams. For now, the immediate objectives are intended to set the stage for the bigger ones, because little drops make an ocean. It is increasingly becoming a herculean task for young professionals to achieve their goals in this part of the world, but with determination, focus, lots of studying and hard work, the sky is only the starting point.
How did you become IPSF chairperson for African Regional Office?
My journey with the IPSF started in 2013 as a fourth year student when I led the application of PANS Nigeria into becoming a member of the global organisation. We had so much to offer on the global stage and needed so much to learn as motivated students. The efforts of the then PANS team and I, as the national president, together with the then PSN leadership, saw the successful membership application and consequent acceptance by the IPSF General Assembly in Utrecht, the Netherlands in the same year.
In May 2014, I joined a 20-man delegation of pharmacy students from different continents to the World Health Assembly in Geneva Switzerland where I took part in policy development on health-related matters on behalf of the federation. I went further to represent Nigeria at the IPSF world Congress in Porto, Portugal, where I gained the IPSF certified leader status, having completed the Leaders-in-Training programme.
In August 2015, I, together with Mr Aniekan Ekpeyong and Ms Juliet Obi, also represented Nigeria at the IPSF World Congress in Hyderabad, India as an official delegate. There, important decisions were made and lessons were learnt. In 2016, I once again, represented Nigeria at the 5th African Pharmaceutical Symposium and the 62nd IPSF World Congress in Kenya and Zimbabwe respectively. These experiences were life-changing, empowering and inspiring. They actually inspired me to take the role of the chairperson of the African Regional Office of IPSF. I was elected by official delegates of member countries present during the IPSF African Regional Assembly in Mombasa, Kenya 2016. The election was then approved by the General Assembly of IPSF in Harare, Zimbabwe in August 2016.
What are your plans for IPSF for the next one year and how do you intend to achieve them?
I intend to represent the member associations of the African region in every ramification within the confines of my position, international access and in strong considerations of local content and scales of priority. My team and I are already at the forefront of engaging in relevant dialogues and decision-making processes for the benefit of pharmacy students and recent graduates in Africa.
Through the IPSF professional development, pharmacy education, public health campaigns and student exchange programmes, pharmacy students and recent graduates in the region can imbibe capacity-building experiences into becoming well-rounded professionals. My colleagues and I in the executive are motivated to ensure that member associations derive the many opportunities that are consistent with being part of a global organisation, while also contributing to the development of the profession in the region.
Meanwhile, being a non-governmental organisation, the support of partners, national pharmacy bodies and related organisations will be critical in achieving these impactful feats.
What are the specific challenges facing IPSF in Africa and how can they be surmounted?
Challenges are inevitable. The most resounding challenge faced by IPSF in the region is the issue of relatively low support for pharmacy students and recent graduates to partake in IPSF programmes and events. This invariably causes low interest by pharmacy associations in the region.
Stakeholders must begin to invest in the future of the profession by availing young professionals with capacity-building and international best practice experiences beyond the four walls of the classroom through grants and sponsorships. Increased support would mean improved intellectual programmes and impactful projects, international events participation, research opportunities and improved ability to contend with colleagues from the rest of the world.
Members from the region are full of potentials and enthusiasm to make a difference and to make global impact. In line with SDG 9, an enabling environment consistent with enabling infrastructure and innovations are requisite for long-lasting development. It is a delight to be the first Nigerian to hold the position but I am not the only Nigerian in the executive committee. Ms. Juliet Onyinyechi Obi is a member of the executive committee and is also the first Nigerian to be elected as the professional development chairperson of IPSF.
In 2018, Nigeria will host the largest gathering of Pharmacy students and recent graduates from the African continent at the 7th African Pharmaceutical Symposium, in the city of Lagos.
Being a former PANS national president, how often do you still participate in PANS-related activities?
My tenure as the national president of PANS ended almost three years ago, right before my graduation. I have since been involved only on advisory basis and only when reached out to. Pharmacy students from PANS Igbinedion University, Okada, invited me in July 2016 during the first Leaders-in-Training event in Nigeria organised by Mr Adeyemi Sylvester, to give a talk and be a part of the trainers. It turned out to be impactful.
I have also supported the PANS IPSF contact person and the student exchange officer for two years now with the aim of sustaining IPSF impact in Nigeria.
What is your advice to young pharmacists who are willing to come into the practice?
Gold, when mined, looks dirty and unattractive. It is then subjected to intense, rigorous processes to purify it. In the end, it becomes lustrous and highly prized. Pharmacy practice can be intense, but you always eventually become invaluable. The opportunities are numerous, the profession is noble and the service to humanity is divine. Come on board!
What message do you have for your colleagues across the continent?
Study really hard and develop your mind. Get a mentor and learn a lot. Increase your value and make impact. Take good advantage of every opportunity that comes your way while they still do and make the world your oyster.
Pharm. Chibuike Uchemadu Agaruwa, chief executive officer and superintendent pharmacist of Euromed Limited, was born on 16 September, 1952.
A native of Ikwuano North Local Government Area of Abia State, Agaruwa attended Okongwu Memorial Grammar School, Nnewi in 1964 but had to discontinue in 1967 due to the outbreak of the civil war.
After the war, he returned to school and obtained his West African School Certificate (WASC) at Sancta Crux Secondary School, Umuahia, in April 1970. He gained admission into University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife in 1972, and bagged his B.Pharm. (Hons) degree in 1976.
His work experience started in the department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ife, where he was a demonstrator and internee (July 1976 – June 1977). Between 1978 and 1980, Agaruwa was a medical representative with Ciba-Geigy, in charge of East 1. By 1981, he had risen to become product manager, responsible for the company’s anti-rheumatics, dermatologicals, stomatologicals and analgesics.
He was further appointed coordinator, Product Management and Field Force, in 1985; marketing manager in 1986 and national sales manager/training coordinator in 1991.
In July 1991, Agaruwa left Ciba-Geigy for Link Pharmaceuticals (a sole agent of UPJOHN in Nigeria) where he became its new general manager. With his wealth of experience garnered from dealing with foreign pharmaceutical agents, the pharmacist developed the ambition of founding his own pharmaceutical company.
That dream eventuality came to reality in 1999 when he launched Euromed Limited and became its CEO/superintendent pharmacist.
Agaruwa has recorded several successes since he began his career. He is credited with the successful take-off of Tandalgesic, which was officially declared as the most successful product launch in Nigeria in 1982. Two years later, his great feat was followed up with another launch of Rengasil, the leading anti-rheumatic product in 1989.
A philanthropist, Agaruwa is a registered member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN). He is also a member of the following associations: Institute of Pharmacy Management International (IPMI), UK (1981); and Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (AIPN), 1981.
As part of his extra-curricular activities, he enjoys travelling, meeting people, playing lawn tennis, badminton, table tennis and listening to music.
– As Lagos ACPN holds Pharmacists Education Conference
To ensure the continued success of their businesses, irrespective of prevailing economic circumstances, pharmacists must take financial discipline and capacity building seriously.
This was the submission of Pharm. (Dr) Albert Kelong Alkali, national chairman, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), at the 2016 Lagos ACPN Pharmacists Education Conference, held last December at NECA House, Ikeja, Lagos.
According to the number one community pharmacist in the country, the continuing education programme for community pharmacists was timely, as knowledge gained would help them to keep their businesses afloat during the current economic recession.
Alkali also seized the opportunity to call on government to reduce take off cut on raw materials for pharmaceutical products, as well as to appoint a substantive director general for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), so that Nigerians are not exposed to fake and counterfeit products.
Speaking in the same vein, the Group Managing Director, Reals Groups Limited and former Chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN,) Board of Fellows, Pharm. Ade Popoola, disclosed that the continuing education conference was important as it was a good avenue to upgrade the knowledge of community pharmacists so that they can remain leaders in the pharmaceutical business.
Pharm. Ade Popoola, Group Managing Director, Reals Groups Limited and former chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN,) Board of Fellows, and Pharm. (Mrs) Abiola Paul-Ozieh, chairman, ACPN, Lagos State Chapter at the 2016 Lagos ACPN Pharmacists Education Conference, held last December at NECA House, Ikeja, Lagos.
Pharm. Popoola who was the chairman of the occasion further added that for a business to survive in a recession period, an entrepreneur has to understand the dynamics of financial education, noting especially that in retail pharmacy, it is very easy for one to lose capital if care is not taken.
While lamenting that Nigeria was operating at an inflation rate of about 18.3 percent, which portended danger for retailers like community pharmacists, the experienced pharmacist advised pharmacists to take advantage of the many opportunities offered by developments in information technology, internet and social media to enhance their businesses.
In an earlier address, Chairman of ACPN Lagos, Pharm. (Mrs) Abiola Paul-Ozieh, lamented that the economic situation in Nigeria was shrinking pharmaceutical business across the country, adding that, by extension, the non-availability and non-affordability of drugs was affecting the health of Nigerians.
According to her, the high tariffs on imported pharmaceutical products, the inability of manufacturers to access foreign exchange and the unbearable exchange rate of naira to dollar had drastically affected pharmaceutical businesses as over 100 importers had folded up or left the country, while many of the remaining ones were not bringing in products required by Nigerians.
She disclosed that the Continuing Education Conference with the theme: “Impact of Manpower Development on Community Pharmacy Sustainability” was designed to promote professional skills, business strategy skills and practice skills of community pharmacists, saying it would help community pharmacists to better understand current economic realities and the options available for small and medium enterprises.
“Most of us in community practice are yet to come to terms with the current economic recession. We want to know how we can scale through. We want to know the options available for us and options available to mitigate the effect. In all sincerity, 2016 was a year filled with so much instability – the prices were not stable and consumer patronage was not stable as quite a lot of them resolved to cutting down cost,” Paul-Ozieh said.
Chairman of the event, Pharm. Ebenezer Adeleke, commended ACPN Lagos for being consistent in organising the programme every year, adding that he was highly impressed with the large turn-out of young pharmacists whom he described as ‘future of pharmacy profession’ at this year’s edition
Other dignitaries at the event included: Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, President, PSN, who was represented by Pharm. Emeka Duru; Pharm. Miyen Swomen, head of human resources, Union Bank Plc, who was the keynote speaker; Pharm. Yetunde Morohundiya; Dr (Mrs) Moyosore Adejumo; Pharm. Iyiola Gbolagade, among others.
An international expert in healthcare and pharmaceuticals has stated that to curb the perennial challenge of drug counterfeiting in Nigeria, there must be proper marketing surveillance, as well as sincere commitment on the part of regulators.
Speaking recently with Pharmanews during a special dinner held in honour of local pharmaceutical manufacturers in the country at Shoregate Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, Dr Emily Kaine, senior vice president on global public health for the United States Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention, explained that although counterfeiting is a global problem, there are effective measures that can be taken to combat it.
According to her, “As long as there are bad actors, there are going to be counterfeits. What we found out is that with the right marketing surveillance and right investment, the bad actors can be discouraged and weeded out.”
Kaine further explained that the “right investment” she referred to must start with a total commitment from regulatory authorities such as National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
A doctorate degree holder from Columbia University, the USP’s senior vice president remarked that although it was her first visit to Nigeria, she had nevertheless heard a lot about the potentials and prospects of the country’s pharmaceutical industry.
“I must say that I am impressed by the commitment, quality, enterprising spirit and the passion in the industry. Really inspiring! I am so pleased about having the opportunity to work with these great pharma leaders in the industry through our integral programme at USAID,” she said.
Kaine added that she was particularly impressed with the Pharmanews journal, admitting that she initially thought it was published overseas.
L-R: Dr Ebere Ekpunobi, managing director, Neimeth Pharmaceuticals Limited; Adebola Adekoya, USP’s quality assurance specialist; Dr Emily Kaine, senior vice president, United States Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention and Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director of Pharmanews Limited
“Good content, great quality. It is really inspiring!” she enthused.
When asked for suggestions on how manufacturers can best cope with the current recession, Kaine stated that much as she wouldn’t want to comment on the issue, she could not help describing it as “an incredibly challenging situation.”
“But then, I have to say that sustaining quality and investing in those fundamentals to deliver quality to the pharmaceutical sector has its own reward. For us, we believe that if half of the products imported into the country are produced locally, Nigeria shouldn’t have problem competing globally. But it has to go hand-in-hand with quality,” she declared.
In terms of capacity building, Kaine disclosed that USP had made major commitments across the continent, adding that the Convention was always looking forward to doing more and maximising its impact through partnership and through working with all local constituents.
The health and pharma expert further noted that it was really a pleasure seeing so many local pharmaceutical giants in Nigeria.
“Again, it is a testament to the fact that we really have some committed local partners. And you know, without them, there is no reason for us to be here (Nigeria). I think we have a pretty good future,” she stressed.”
In a separate interview, Dr Chimezie Anyakora, a consultant and USP chief of party, disclosed that 2016 was a wonderful year for the USP Convention.
“We have done a lot of support programme in the pharma industry and I am so excited with what is happening in the sector. People are picking up and thinking of quality. Presently, Nigeria is supplying many African countries with quality pharma products in a big way.
“For me, our little contribution makes me so excited. NAFDAC has a new laboratory right now. The right news about Nigeria is getting onto the map more and more. It is more about a country where quality matters,” he opined.
Anyakora who, some months ago, held a week-long capacity building programme for local pharma manufacturers and NAFDAC inspectors at Banex Hotel in Lagos, further explained that the Convention’s mission is to train, support and give empowerment where it is needed.
“Our training is not just an interactive forum. The manufacturers will know what the innovators are thinking and vice versa. That way, we know the dialogue will be much better and will lead to improvement in quality. I am a strong believer in the Nigerian brand. As I keep telling people, I see a future that is superb!” he enthused.
While applauding the atmosphere of camaraderie that pervaded the banquet room, the USP chief of party noted that the goal of the forum was to bring together as many local manufacturers in Nigeria as possible to interact and network.
“We hope to have it more often. As you can see, we have more CEOs and directors around. It is advocacy. We want to tell the whole world that Nigeria is not what they used to think of it. Before now, people thought you cannot get large pharma procurement from Nigeria.
“I am therefore using this opportunity to encourage our people that instead of investing billions in pharma industries abroad, we have capable companies here. As earlier said, this type of forum is like a peer review mechanism where people see one another, network and get encouraged,” he remarked.
In a show of appreciation, Pharm. Okey Akpa, chairman, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMGMAN) applauded the Dr Emily Kaine-led USP team for seeing the need to collaborate with local manufacturers.
“It was a privilege to follow a delegation to see what USP has in store for Nigeria. I am even more excited with their senior vice president who is here in person today. Although, just like Oliver Twist, we still expect more from you. Let me say that we couldn’t have had a better partner than USP at the moment,” he said.
Also in attendance at the dinner were Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director of Pharmanews Limited; Prince Chris Nebe, chairman, Phamatex Industries Limited; Pharm. Kunle Ekundayo, chief executive officer, Drugfield Pharma Limited; Ikenna Orakwe, head of public health, Chi Pharma and Biola Adebayo, ex director, Fidson Healthcare Plc.
Others were Dr Obi Adigwe, PMGMAN’s secretary general; Ignatus Anukwu, pharma manager, Swipha; Tosin Jolayemi, managing director, Daily Need Industries Limited; Dr Ebere Ekpunobi, managing director, Neimeth Pharmaceuticals Limited; Nonyelum Okpagu, USP project coordinator and Adebola Adekoya, USP’s quality assurance and quality control specialist.
The United States Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) formed a cooperative agreement about 20 years ago to promote quality of medicine globally. This gave rise to a USP programme known as ‘Promoting the Quality of Medicines (PQM). Today, PQM is active in 38 countries.
In Nigeria, the PQM programme has been active for about four years. Its office was formally established two years ago in Lagos.
Conference Highlights
