In this no-holds-barred interview with Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis, Pharm. Lawrence Okwuchukwu Anyafulu, former deputy president of PSN(1977-1979) and chairman of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), East-Central State Branch from 1974 to 1977, explains some of the intrigues surrounding the issue of counterfeit medicine and why he thinks hospital pharmacists are not doing enough to help themselves.

Tell us a little about yourself, especially your early life

My early life was not spent in one place. My elementary education, for instance, was done in nearly eight schools due to frequent movements of my aunt whom I was staying with.

My first experience of what they called “school” was while I was in Okitipupa, Ondo State. I am not sure I spent up to six months there though. From there, we moved to Enugu where I had my primary one. I must have been in Enugu for about three years before we were transferred again to Nsukka. There I had my schooling up to class two. Shortly after, we went back to Enugu where I had classes two and three. Classes three, four and five were done in Warri, present day Delta State. I didn’t really finish Class five at Warri as we made a short stay in Kwale where I spent four months in another school. From there, my aunt moved again to Sapele where I attended Government College for my Standard 6 certificate.

I passed my common entrance and got admitted into Hussey College. The slogan, then, used to be “There is only one college in Warri – Hussey College and others.” At that time, the focus was to be educated, not just to pass exam.

So can we say that your education only stabilised when you got to Hussey College?

Yes. I must say that I had a nice time in the school which was doing well in the area of sports. There was a time we competed favourably with the likes of Government College, Kings College, St Gregory’s College and Igbobi. I was not just a school prefect but also an active footballer.

At that time too, I joined what was called “Anti-Graft Society, which had the slogan, “Don’t give bribe, don’t accept bribe and don’t abet bribe”. That Society also prepared the way for me to shun anything that has to do with corruption.

Tell us about your work experience

Immediately I left college, I had a brief stint working as a civil servant. I was asked to work with federal prisons as a clerk. I am not so sure but I think I spent like two to three years there before I resolved to further my studies instead of remaining a civil servant.

Why did you choose to study Pharmacy when you could have done any other science course?

At that time, my initial intention was to study Agriculture. That was perhaps because I come from an area where the people are predominantly into fishing and farming. So I believed that doing that might improve whatever area I eventually delved into. I later changed my mind and opted to study at the School of Pharmacy, Yaba, from 1956 to 1959. Some of my course mates were Fidelis Omiyi, Harry Ajagun, Emma Osuji, Sam Ejikeme, Ayo Adejoko, T. O. Daudu and William Ekpo. About four or five of us are now Fellows.

How did you end up working for a federal parastatal?

When I graduated, I thought of going to the East but it didn’t work out. So I started working with the federal government. My first official assignment was with Federal Hospital, Lagos. I was moved to Yaba dispensary where I worked for sometime before calling it quits. At the general hospital, I worked under Pharm. Ojomu and the likes of Lady Nylander, a very hardworking, jovial and strict lady. We were doing shifts and things were going on fine. Most of our mixtures, ranging from lotions to tonics were made there. We neither bought nor outsourced.

Tell us about some memorable controversies and intriguing events relating to the practice during your time

One of the major controversies we had then was on the issue of wages and salary structure for pharmacists in the country. We formed a strong union that was called Nigeria Union of Pharmacists (NUP) because we were not happy with the situation of things in the federal ministry. As the general secretary of the union, I had to travel to Ibadan to motivate and persuade them that there was hope. We went on agitating and subsequently called for industrial action at some point. But the federal government refused to back out saying we should quit if we were not contented. So we went on strike and were always resuming at Yaba to ensure everybody was in good health.

At that time, only one person showed interest in our activities and was steadily coming to encourage us from the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology – Bruno Nwankwo (current chairman of PCN). It got so bad that, at a point, many pharmacists wanted to decamp and work in other sectors. I met with Andrew Egboh and Otobo and together we continued the struggle until Scale A salary structure was introduced to appease us. From there, I told myself I needed to move on, having tried enough to bring recognition to the profession.

Did you leave because the pressure was taking its toll on you?

No, it was a personal decision. After I left, I joined John Holt in 1965. Unlike now, it was formerly called West African Drug Company, which helped to train many of those great pharmacists such as IfeanyiAtueyi, Adebowale, the late BayoOgunyemi and myself. We were all made to change our mode of thinking to start seeing things like businessmen from all ramifications – marketing, sales, distribution, and so on. What this also means is that we were always travelling both within the country and abroad.

Tell us more about your involvement in pharmaceutical activities

As a secretary of NUP, I was elected member of the Pharmacy Board (now Pharmacists Council) from 1962 to 1965. After the civil war, I was made chairman of Pharmaceutical Society of  Nigeria (PSN), East-Central States, which comprises Enugu, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi and Anambra, from 1974 to 1977. Due to the vastness of the area, we had to zone it.

Imagine back then, we had only one pharmacist in Okigwe, Imo State. At a point, we were calling it a one-man zone. Let me say that it was during my era that PSN started functioning as an organised zone, in terms of income and attendance.

Did you record any notable achievement during your tenure?

I give glory to God because in my era, too, we were able to carry out the first raid on Onitsha market. Another notable person in our team then was the father of  Dr. Joe Odumodu, present director general of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), who is also a pharmacist. This is why we are not surprised that “Young Joe”is equally doing well because we know his father’s DNA is still very much in him. The father was my senior by two years in school.

What was it like heading a multinational company as WAD?

It was a good experience. In my career at WAD, I started as a trainee manager but later climbed the wrung of the leadership ladder. I soon made it to senior manager, area manager, deputy managing director before I eventually became the MD. I was the first indigenous managing director in WAD for 10 years before I retired in 1990.

Is it true that you were once with the Lagos Chambers of Commerce?

Yes! I was chairman of the pharmaceutical group in Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry for 10 years until somebody else was elected. In fact, after I left, many people clamoured for me to come back but I declined. In 1979, I was made honourary life vice president, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

What was the profession like in your day compared to today’s practice?

As a member of Pharmacy Board, we were always discussing issues bordering on pharmacy practice and the country. We also deliberated on import and export duties as well as ways to improve. We also prepared our budgets and submitted to government through the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Among other things, we were very keen to know about importation of drugs in the country; what quantity was produced, how many were imported and produced locally. We set up a committee to look into fake drugs and the quality of products imported. I can remember vividly that the committee was chaired by Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa who was then with Pfizer.It was even then that we found out that the genuine drugs were not more than 10 per cent and that the fake constitute about 70 per cent. We discovered that a large chunk of the drugs made here were fake. We submitted the report to the government and, for many years, the report was what they acted on. We also enjoined that they used the opportunity to reactivate pharmaceutical research but unfortunately they were foot-dragging. So we raised money in the industry and started the research ourselves.

How are you enjoying life in retirement?

Well, what can I say? On my social life after retirement in 1990, I continued doing pharmacy business with some companies for 10 years and saw how things were going. Then I decided to slow down before I stopped. I don’t sell or trade as a pharmacist now. I just observe things, which I think is better for me.

Having worked 25 years with WAD, I think I have paid my dues. I am a member of some notable associations like the Rotary Club of Tin Can which I had to quit after sometime because of the distance and stress involved. I compensated by joining the Rotary Club of Lagos West which is nearer to me.

What was the profession like in your day compared to today’s practice?

The practice of Pharmacy wasn’t as porous as it is now. Patent medicine vendors were not as bold as they are now. I remember that we were always able to track the fake ones among them. In the 1970s, the best analgesic used in Nigeria was Buscodin. But it dawned on some people that they could make a kill of it. They imported the drug and were selling at half price. It became so worrisome that Mr. Pearce, the then managing director of Boots approached me. I was in Aba then being chairman of East-Central States. Pearce came all the way to see me in Aba.

Luckily, I was able to unravel the mystery throught the efforts of Amaikwu, Boots pharmacist, who helped to track down the culprits. He was also a pharmacist. So we brought in the police and rounded up the operation. The police came, saw the exhibits but were only able to take out one drum. When they returned, the remaining had disappeared. Mr Pearce was baffled but I reassured him the matter would be taken to court as a last resort.

So the first thing we did was to ensure the place was barred. But the suspects also changed their own names and the product label to another brand and continued to sell.  When I observed how things were going, I told Mr. Pearce to allow them continue to sell it. Because even if we claimed those products were fake, they would be subjected to forensic test and the result of the laboratory test would decide that.

As I earlier said, they did not only change the name, the packaging too had undergone transformation. So it is a trend that will continue. It is a war that we can’t win completely. So this was our own little effort aimed at taming counterfeit medicine back then. There were times many of us were ambushed by cartels who saw us as perennial threats.

It appears you have a misgiving towards hospital pharmacists. Why?

I must say that pharmacists in hospital practice today appear to be in ice block. In our era, while I was working in Federal Ministry of Health, we initiated action. We went ahead and started something. When it was becoming too much for us, we invited in the PSN. I remember that some of the struggles we went through were complete stalemate. Who cares? It has always been between us and the government.

But the present pharmacists in federal and state employments fold their hands and want PSN to fight their battle. This is the major difference between the two. They should be able to initiate action. And if the heat becomes much, PSN can come in. It is wrong to always expect PSN to be the arrowhead of every struggle. That is my own advice.

If you were not to be a pharmacist, would you have opted for football where your youthful passion lies?

I wouldn’t have made it into any serious football club. So football couldn’t have been my choice. Surprisingly, being a member of Anti-Graft Society back in school, I thought I would have ended up as a policeman. But when my father heard it, he convinced me to think otherwise. Subsequently I dropped the idea because I learnt the police had too many enemies.

My hard-line stance on bribery didn’t really go down well with some people. I think having such background also helped a lot in pharmacy practice. Truth be told, if I were given the chance to start all over again, I would still be a pharmacist. What I have achieved today, quietly and peacefully, was due to Pharmacy. And I have personally observed that Pharmacy is improving year by year.

(By Pharm. Nelson Okwonna)

In open economies, where channels of import and export exist, factors other than strategic intent and the availability of human and material resources, become increasingly important in deciding between alternative courses of actions. One of such factors is cost.

After the IMF instigated the Structural Adjustment Programme of 1985 – which was ostensibly designed to boost local productivity, decrease imports and launch Nigeria to a more prosperous path – suffered a colossal failure, manufacturing activities in Nigeria have never remained the same.

One major effect of the policy was the astronomical rise in the cost of raw materials like machine parts and expatriate labour (in fact, everything that came through the borders became expensive, including the factors of production). Also, there was no commensurate increase in the earning capacity of the indigenous labour force; hence those who could migrate to “greener pastures” migrated.

In sum, the effects of the policy could be described as follows:

A.   Increased cost of production due to increased cost of material inputs.

B.    Decrease in the pool of available human capital due to migration (which is more difficult to replenish).

C.    Incentives for the importation of finished goods and not for localised production.

D.   Greater barriers to manufacturing and worthwhile research and development efforts.

Sadly, from that time (1985) till now, we are still battling to find our footing. Add corruption to our challenges and you get a better picture. The aim of this article, however, is not to chronicle our predicaments but to offer a ray of light.

On 20 June 2013, the NIPRD-Industry Business Summit held at Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Ikeja. The event, which was chaired by veteran pharmaceutical industry leader, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, had, in attendance, other distinguished CEOs and representatives from stakeholder-organisations in the pharmaceutical industry.

The summit highlighted the earnest desire for change among stakeholders, as industry partners presented their areas of need and called for intense collaboration from NIPRD. Since then, other strategic meetings have been held to advance the cause of indigenous research and development. Still, there are many new calls for increased R&D drive from representatives of the pharmaceutical industry and my engagement with NIPRD and other pharmaceutical research organisations show that the sun shall yet shine on pharmaceutical research and development in Nigeria.

The points I mentioned much earlier were to demonstrate why this sun is apparently not shinning enough and to buttress issues that need be addressed. A major constraint is cost and one area that accounts for this cost is the clinical trial process.

But apart from cost, there is also the low adaptive capacity of the manufacturing industry and insufficient stakeholder ownership for sustaining research–industry dialogue. The recent calls by the Industry are perhaps indicative of the renewed perception among stakeholders that research & development is perhaps our visa to a glorious future; it shows that the Industry is maturing, though not fast enough, as we try to rid ourselves of the effects of the SAP policy.

On clinical trials

At present, there are very few organisations dedicated to this critical chain in the drug development process. In 2010, working for an indigenous firm involved in drug development, we were able to estimate the cost of delivering a clinical trial for an antimalarial product.

One thing that I took away from the process is that the cost is not as exorbitant as many think. This should be understood within the context of the major cost factors and the nature of the product under examination – a phytopharmaceutical. Two things are peculiar to this kind of product:

A.   WHO has made certain exceptions for Phyto-pharmaceuticals.

B.    The major cost is the human resource cost.

The National Health Research Ethics Committee (NHREC) has a clear pathway for approving clinical trials in partnership with NAFDAC and the major constraint, from my own point of view, is basically a management challenge and an insufficiency of demand by Industry. Perhaps this is because of limits in the perception of the huge opportunities that exist, a perception that I believe is rapidly changing.

To overcome the human resource cost of delivering a large scale clinical trial, I am advocating for Research–Hospital partnership. The aim is to reduce the initial cost of entry for an industry player. Consider the NIPRISAN/NICOSAN case study (which is chronicled in my book, the Heart and Art of Innovation); despite the huge investments made by NIPRD on developing the sickle cell product, the entry cost for the pharmaceutical stakeholder was $115,000 and a 7.5% of gross sales as royalties. Of course, there must have been many other operational costs.

The purpose of the partnerships would be such that the research organisation (university or institute) that did the basic research and the clinical research organisation (the hospital) are under the same umbrella as in the NIPRD scenario and would also defer gratification (accept royalty terms). The partnerships would address critical issues like:

a.     Delineating knowledge-sharing procedures for relevant stakeholders

b.    Developing human capacity for clinical trial models of major disease groups.

c.     Providing cost estimates of delivering standard protocols

d.    Developing business structures within partner organisations that defer gratification in place of a royalty agreement.

There are many benefits to this from an Industry point of view. Some of which are:

a.     Cheaper cost of entry from a go-to-market angle.

b.    Greater ease for determining potential collaborative R&D budgets.

c.     Greater opportunity for institutional gap analysis.

d.    Greater sustainability of research and development efforts.

e.     Potential for human capacity development across the value chain.

f.     Reduced fragmentation of the drug development chain.

g.    Greater room for the emergence of indigenous clinical research organisations.

Challenges

The major challenge of this proposition is that the potential parties that will make a venture as this feasible are both public organisations – universities/research institutes and teaching hospitals. Bureaucracy and the usual Nigerian factors are powerful factors that must be considered. However, optimists would always choose to see the half-full glass and in this case, I believe that is exactly where we are. The water in our glass may not even be up to the half-mark but it is certainly not empty.

( Temitope  Obayendo)

Pharm (Hajiya) Zainab Shariff, CEO, Nigerian Medicinal Plants Development Company (NMPDC) is a well-known authority on “Green Pharmacy” in Nigeria, having done extensive work on several medicinal plants. In this exclusive chat with Temitope  Obayendo, Shariff, who is also the national chairperson of the Association of Lady Pharmacists (ALPs) explains why the federal government must integrate herbal medicine into the Nigerian health care delivery system. She also emphasises the role of adequate funding in productive research. Excerpts:

It was recently reported that only 25 per cent of medicinal plants are utilised in Nigeria. As an advocate of herbal medicine, what factors do you think will enhance the harnessing of Nigerian medicinal plants for health and nutritional benefits?

To fully harness the usefulness and efficacy of these plants, there must be increased sensitisation of Nigerians to appreciate the values and enormous potentials that abound with their use. The federal government, on its part, must initiate and facilitate policies through the Federal Ministry of Health by passing the Traditional Medicine Policy, to regulate the practice.

There is also the need to facilitate the integration of herbal medicine into the healthcare delivery system. This will stimulate research and development, as well as processing and packaging of herbal products.

Added to this is the need to discourage importation of such products mostly from  China and India currently flooding our markets. Reduced interest in the quest for chemically synthesised drugs and a desire by the global pharmaceutical sector to promote “Green Pharmacy” will also promote utilisation.

Since the creation of NMPDC, how far has it gone in harnessing the potentials of herbals for the improvement of health care in the country?

NMPDC has, so far, successfully cultivated and commercialised Artemisia annua (a Chinese antimalarial plant used in producing ACTs). We currently have four products in the market: Artemisia tea, Artemisia tea plus, Morigvite tea and Morigvite powder. Also, there are nine new products that we plan to introduce to the market, which are currently awaiting approval by NAFDAC.

Many research findings have identified several nutritional phytochemicals in plants. Most of these findings have however died a natural death, due to lack of sponsors. How can this issue be addressed?

Researchers are urged to carry out their findings from A-Z. Research findings on medicinal plants at every stage have the potential to generate revenue, while the revenue generated is used for further research. This is done to prevent research works ending up under lock and key, and even forgotten. Most importantly, there must be a strong political will by the government to support research institutes through adequate funding and encouragement of private participation to commercialise research findings.

It has been observed that fertilisers used in cultivating some plants make them unhealthy for consumption. Do you agree with this observation?

As much as possible, it is better and safer to go more organic, and less inorganic in the choice of fertiliser used.

How cordial is the relation between NMPDC, faculties of pharmacy and other research institutions?

There has been a very cordial relationship,by way of collaborative efforts,with universities such as University of Jos,  Zaria,and University of Benin. Research institutes, such as NIPRD, Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme, Raw Materials Research and Development Institute, Agricultural Research Council, National Stored Products Research Institute, Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria, etc.

What are the challenges facing your company?

The major challenge, at the moment, is funding.

What counsel do you have for other researchers in Nigeria?

Researchers in Nigeria need to identify themselves with research institutes around, locally or internationally. Researchers have to strive to source for government intervention to support research and commercialise research findings. They should not easily give up. Efforts could also be made to source for intervention from private partners, investors, institutions and international organisations, particularly in researches that have high potentials to be commercialised and can impact positively on the society.

 You may not know it, but there are so many things you can achieve in life just by improving your thought life. Let me share with you two basic concepts that are related to the way you think about yourself and the achievement of personal greatness.

1. Think differently and uniquely

Those who achieve personal greatness think differently and uniquely. They value their distinct selves– they do not see themselves as followers of predetermined cultural norms.

How do you think? The way everybody else does? According to world systems? According to the culture portrayed on television or in movies?

Refuse to accept the current status of your thought life. Re-evaluate how you think and why you think the way you do.

Choose to think

•      Differently: Choose to think out of your values, not out of cultural norms. Choose to think at the highest end of values, not at the level of the least common denominator.

•     Uniquely  : Embrace your originality and creativity.

Every person is unique –one of a kind; but we all operate under unchanging natural laws. Gravity is gravity. God’s natural laws are universal, from one generation to the next and from one culture to the next. His laws are absolute. But the application of His principles–the manifestation of His grace, purpose, and plan–is distinctively unique to each person. God never does the same thing twice in precisely the same way. Through nature, He makes billions upon billions of snowflakes every winter, and the general characteristics of these snowflakes are alike in the basics of design, function and origin. Yet every snowflake is unique–a  one-of-a-kind design that has never been seen before and will never be seen again.

People are alike in many ways–we all have hearts and brains and fears and hopes. Yet every person is unique, a one-of-a-kind creation with a completely original DNA pattern. No two fingerprints or handprints are alike, no two footprints are alike, no two voiceprints are alike, no two patterns in the iris of the eye are alike, and no two sets of circumstances or composite sets of life experiences are exactly alike. Each person lives in a unique context of time and space from the moment of birth.

And so, too, our thinking is unique. Each person has a unique, one-of-a-kind set of dreams, goals, desires, propensities and wishes. You may have some dreams in common with others, but your dream for your life will always have unique components to it, and your overall set of dreams, goals, and desires will be unique. Dreams and goals will be in varying combinations, with emphases on distinct areas. Your imagination will be directed into unique ideas.

We have all heard the comment: “There’s nothing new under the sun.” That is true in a general way. It is equally true that everything is new under the sun. Millions upon millions of never before-uttered sentences are going to be spoken today, in contexts that have never been experienced before, by people who know the same basic vocabulary words but who string them together in original ways. Poets are going to spin old, familiar words into new combinations. Artists are going to use the age-old spectrum of colour and light to create works that have never been seen before. Musicians are going to use a very limited number of notes on the musical scale to create new tunes.

Open your mind to your unique thoughts–thoughts  that are different from those of the world at large; thoughts that are different from those of the person in the cubicle next to you, thoughts that may seem completely “out of the box” even to you!

Dare to think thoughts and dream dreams that are not mundane and ordinary.

2. Embrace the renewing of your thoughts

Those who achieve personal greatness constantly pursue a renewal of their minds. Your mental transformation requires your participation. Renewal is not something that happens instantly or apart from your will. Renewal is a process that follows a certain pattern. It requires reflection upon the very best of ideas. It requires application–it requires that you act on the best of what you know. Much of what you learn comes through doing.

If I tell you something, you have only a 50 percent chance of remembering it. If I tell you something, as I illustrate what I say, you have an 80 percent likelihood of remembering it. But if you act on something I tell you and show you – if you do something, and especially if you do it at your own initiation,you are nearly 100 percent likely to remember it.

Have you ever been in the grip of something sinister, such as a drug addiction, alcoholism, or deep debt? If you have, you know that it is difficult to think at length about something other than the problem. The problem is always present, frequently coming to mind through recurring urges or fears.

Numerous other obsessions and desires are less intense, but nonetheless ingrained in our thought processes. Greed for things we want to own, lust for a person who is not rightfully ours, an insatiable desire for power or fame, a compelling drive toward manipulation or conquest, in order to elevate our self-importance–all  of these thoughts tend to grab hold of the mind and refuse to let go. They become our reasons for being–more money, more promotions, more visibility, more possessions, more authority, more awards.

I certainly believe we are to be blessed materially. I also clearly recognise that organisations are based upon line authority and that organisational charts have value in getting a task accomplished. I am in favour of self-improvement and personal growth. But when any self-gratifying or self-glorifying desire begins to take over a person’s thought process, that person is in need of renewal.

As stated earlier, the renewal process involves two basic steps: reflection upon doing the right things, and active engagement in doing the right things.

The Bible gives directives about the thought life: “Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy– meditateon these things” (Philippians 4:8).

It is up to you to choose what you will think about. It is up to you to choose the subjects on which you will allow your mind to dwell. It is up to you to choose the topics about which you will study, discuss, or daydream. Take charge of your thought processes. Actively and intentionally choose only the very best input to your mind.

Culled from Achieving Personal Greatness by Tim Lavender

– As he bags WAPCP honorary Fellowship

(By Yusuff Moshood)

In recognition of his contributions towards the growth of pharmacy practice in Niger State, the state’s helmsman, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (The Chief Servant of Niger State), has been awarded an honorary Fellowship of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP).

The award was conferred at the college’s 26th Annual General Meeting (AGM)/Scientific Symposium and 56th Council Meeting, held in Accra, Ghana, last month.

Speaking at the event, Governor Aliyu praised pharmacists for their commitment to professionalism and high ethical standards. He noted that the pharmacist is arguably the most important to the field of Medicine as he produces medicine and dispenses it, adding that even though doctors diagnose and prescribe, pharmacists are the real experts on drugs because they are familiar with the contents.

While pledging his administration’s commitment to the development of the health sector and pharmacy practice in particular, he expressed satisfaction with the harmonious relationship his administration currently has with pharmacists and other health workers.This, he said, is crucial to the attainment of his administration’s vision of making the state one of the three most developed in the country by 2020.

The governor also stated that, as part of strategies to achieve its vision, his administration urges teamwork, team spirit, as well as professionalism in the health sector, adding that this was one of the reasons his government granted full recognition to graduates of WAPCP as consulting cadre in the state’s civil service.

He further pledged that he would continue to be an advocate of WAPCP as the chairman of Northern States Governors’ Forum and as member of Nigerian Governors Forum.

The Niger State Chief Servant also appealed to all professions and trade unions to exercise restraint in times of dispute, urging them to use appropriate legal means to address friction between them and governments at all levels, bearing in mind the sensitive nature of the health sector to the welfare of the citizens.

While stating that government and professional associates at all levels need to maintain good relationship to ensure that issues affecting professional practice are appropriately discussed and resolved on continuous basis, he added that it was criminally irresponsible to allow the health sector to be paralysed in pursuit of selfish interests.

– Lauds OAU Pharmacy Faculty at 50

(By Adebayo Oladejo)

The Group Managing Director of Evans Medical Plc. and Chairman, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN),Chief Bunmi Olaopa, has said that for schools of pharmacy in Nigeria and Africa as a whole to effectively fulfil their mandates and compete favourably with others schools of pharmacy in the world, there is need for them to be adequately funded.

Olaopa who disclosed this while delivering the keynote address at the Golden Jubilee anniversary of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, held from 27 February to 2 March, however lamented thatthe allocations and grants given to the schools were dwindling daily, prompting the need to devise alternative means of getting the much needed resources.

The PMG-MAN boss stated that a good example of such alternative avenues is the establishment an endowment fund for the schools, coordinated by a Board of Trustees as well as management company which will be responsible for growing the fund by investing it. He added that many great institutions globally thrive through such initiatives.

“For example, the Harvard University Endowment Fund was valued at 30.7 billion dollar for the fiscal year that ended 30 June 2012. The fund is managed by Jane Mendillo, president and chief executive officer of Harvard Management Company,” he said.

Also in his address, Olaopa stated that there was a compelling need to bridge the gap between the schools of pharmacy and the pharmacy profession, adding that all stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector must collaborate to make this a reality.

He also bemoaned the scarcity of pharmacists in the industrial sector, noting that the trend could have negative impact on the pharmaceutical profession in the nearest future. “The implication is that non-pharmacists are likely to move in and become ‘experts’ in critical areas of manufacturing to the detriment of the profession in the immediate future,” he said.

While paying tributes to OAU pharmacy school at 50, Olaopa said Nigeria was indebted to the faculty for producing so many illustrious alumni and patriots who had contributed to the nation in various capacities. According to Olaopa, such alumni include: Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, former minister of health; Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, former chairman, Economic Summit Group and retired chief executive officer, Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc; Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, publisher, Pharmanews; Prof. (Mrs) Mbang Femi-Oyewo, pioneer dean, OlabisiOnabanjo University; Prof. Cyprian Onyeji, vice-chancellor, Enugu State University; Dr. Joseph Odumodu, director general, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON); Prof. Kolawole Timothy Jaiyeoba, vice chancellor, Bishop Ajayi Crowther University; Lady Eme Ufot Ekaette, former senator, Federal Republic of Nigeria; Pharm. Olumide Akintayo, president, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), and Mallam Sam Nda-Isaiah, publisher, Leadership newspapers, among others.

“It is an undeniable fact that of the 16, 835 Registered Pharmacists that we have in Nigeria as at October 2013, according to the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), many of them were trained at OAU, while many more were trained by those trained in Ife, so it is joyful to testify that graduate pharmacists from OAU have been delivering quality pharmaceutical and healthcare services to the people of Nigeria and beyond” Olaopa disclosed.

(By Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis)

In this interview with Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis, Pharm. Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Nwabunike, managing director of Fontana Chemists, Surulere, Lagos, and two-time chairman of Nigerian Association of General Practice Pharmacists (now ACPN), evaluates pharmacy practice in Nigeria today, highlighting its achievements and suggesting solutions to some of its challenges. Excerpts:

Tell us a little about yourself

I was born on 23 November, 1930, in the town of  Nnewi, Anambra State. I had my early education at CMS Central School, Nnewi, and finished in December 1945. From there, I went to Dennis Memorial Grammar School, one of the best institutions in Nigeria. Since it was a five-year course, I passed with Grade 1 in 1950. Unlike now, what we had during my time was Cambridge education. In all, we had 31 Grade 1 results out of about 50-something students.

What was your first official assignment like?

Well, it is worthy to note that after my Cambridge exams, I worked for a year; after which I applied for admission in Yaba School of Pharmacy in 1951. In those days, there was serious competition among students. When I eventually qualified as a pharmacist, I got an appointment with Kingsway Chemist, a branch of UAC, in 1955. After a brief stint, I left and teamed up with Evans Medical where I worked for several years before I started nursing the idea of starting something on my own.

What made you think you had garnered enough experience to stand on your own?

To be frank, I had learnt a lot about the business of retail pharmacy while working at Kingsway and also more on wholesale in the course of my assignment as pharmacist with Evans Medical. Therefore, as a young man still bubbling with energy and zeal, I tendered my resignation letter to the then Managing Director, Mr. D. W. Martin. In fact, I still have the original letter, Mr. Martin’s reply and the letter of commendation he gave me in a file in my office. That should tell you that I left on a friendly note as I don’t like the idea of people resigning from work in a contentious manner.

So it wasn’t because you got a better offer that you resigned?

No, I actually resigned because I planned to start running my own retail pharmacy. Fontana Chemists was opened in April 1958 at Ojuelegba which was such a nice place to site such business then.

There are speculations that perennial violence by hoodlums compelled you to move from Ojuelegba to your present site. How true is this?

I wonder why people today often refer to Ojuelegba as a notorious area. That statement is not true. As earlier mentioned, I started Fontana Chemists in 1958. But the coming of the Nigerian civil war in 1967 made me close down the store as many of us from the East had to run home. On my return after the war, I discovered that the outlet had been taken over by another business. That was how I started the search for a new outlet until I got the one I presently occupy.

How did your old customers feel when they saw you after the war?

They quite understood my plight and even empathised with me. Besides, since the distance from my former store is not that far, they still patronise me to date.

In retrospect, can you confidently say studying Pharmacy was a good decision for you?

Well, I will say Pharmacy was a good course for me because it exposed me to the business aspect of life.

What was the profession like in your day compared to today’s practice?

There is a remarkable improvement in modern pharmacy practice as far as packaging and prescription are concerned. We no longer have to measure liquid and oral suspension in millimetre. Retail pharmacy too has undergone a lot of changes in recent times. I have observed it is being pitched together with supermarket to bring in additional income, unlike our own time when we focused only on medicines to make a living.

Was quackery rampant in your time too?

Well, I cannot really say no. But quackery was not as rampant as it is today. Even the issue of doctors refusing to allow pharmacists on ward round did not just start today. Doctors are not trained in drug administration but we had to allow them do it anyway. Having said that, we have to come to terms with the fact that the problem of quackery and mediocrity goes beyond Pharmacy, as every other profession has its share.

How best do you think the issue of fake drugs and counterfeit medicines can be curbed?

I think it is the problem of distribution network. Back in my time, it was not as chaotic as it is presently. What we had were large companies delivering to pharmacies. Unfortunately, pharmaceutical companies don’t do that anymore because of the clamour for local manufacturing. Before, only top multinationals such as Kingsway, Glaxo, Wellcome and the likes, undertook such delivery and the drugs were genuine.

The sad thing about this chaotic distribution is that our colleagues are the ones abetting traders who have no business in Pharmacy to use their licence. It is quite unethical! If only we can speak with one voice, the better. This has further worsened the influx of fake drugs into the country.

How active were you in the area of contributing to the growth of pharmacy practice?

Well, I did my best. I was a two-time chairman of Nigerian Association of General Practice Pharmacists (NAGPP), which is presently known as Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Lagos branch.

Were you not to be a pharmacist, what other profession would you have opted for?

I would have become a doctor. It is about the only thing else I could think about aside Pharmacy. My second daughter is a paediatrician and I have another working with NAFDAC. Interestingly, I also have a brother who is a medical doctor.

Is there any particular age that an active pharmacist should retire?

I belong to the class of pharmacists who say, “If your body is still functioning well, why bother to retire?”After all, I am now 83 years and still strong. But truth be told, I don’t come everyday.

As an elder in the pharmacy profession, what is your advice to young pharmacists?

I believe so much in cooperation. If they can tell themselves the truth, they can progress because the profession is big enough to accommodate everybody.

Dr. Steve Ovu is a medical officer at the A&M Health Science Centre, Texas, United States. When Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis met him at a recent health event held in the country, the enterprising doctor gave a candid assessment of the Nigerian health sector, with particular emphasis on some nagging issues hampering its growth. He also suggested ways of resolving the issues. Excerpts:

Tell us about yourself, especially your educational background

I attended Birrel Avenue High School, Yaba, and obtained a BSc. with Honours from Prairie View A&M University, Texas, United States. I also had both Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Master of Public Health (MPH) degrees from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

Why did you decide to study medicine?

I decided to pursue medicine after a successful surgical intervention to remove my infected appendix at the Eko Hospital in Ikeja. The feeling of relief overwhelmed me that I wanted to do the same for others in some way.

At a recent event, you talked about the problem of wrong diagnosis and how it is claiming lives in Nigeria. Give us your experience on this.

Please permit me to relate only on what I have experienced– poor medical management.

Tell us about poor medical management in Nigeria then.

There are quite a few issues that come to mind such as lack of “bedside oxygen” at the emergency rooms or no oxygen at all; patients having to provide their own medical supplies such as gloves, syringes, saline, laboratory diagnostic kit etc; absence of in-hospital imaging machines (CT scanners, MRIs); unavailable stat labs for quick assessment of patient haemodynamic; absence of electronic documentation of patient data, and so on. These aresome of the disturbing findings in our local hospitals.

All these factors constitute poor management,which greatly affect efficiency of care; this often translates to poor quality of care and loss of life in severe cases. These are provider-services issues, not considering whether the patients can or cannot afford these services.

What is your take on fight against counterfeit medicine in the health sector?

I am not familiar with the statistics of this issue but I can see this being plausible, given the significant physician-patient ratio in a rapidly expanding population. The difficulties students face getting into medical school, graduating from medical school and progressing to become consultants are factors that could fuel the promotion of incompetent/quack care givers because they have to “make it”. Not considering those who impersonate doctors for the purpose of fraudulent activities.

As a medical practitioner, what is your assessment of the state of health care in Nigeria?

My perspective on this issue is a culmination of my experiences in volunteering at one of the federal hospitals in Lagos, visiting family members at our public hospitals, prison medical missions and subjective reports from patients treated in the country. An overview of our health care is analogous to visualising an oak tree with many branches.The stalk represents provider services, in dire need of “available resources” (financial and human resources) to drive the business of healthcare. From the perspective of population medicine, healthcare should be structured to meet the health demands of the people and help avert undesirable health outcomes.

We need fully-equipped hospitals (which have functional emergency room services, intensive care units, general/specialised wards, trauma divisions, etc) that can accommodate acute issues concerning airway management, cardiovascular-related insults, pregnancy-related emergencies, fractures from high rate of motor vehicle accidents, manage infectious and chronic diseases, and provide medical technology for efficiency. We are talking about hospitals that will not demand the patients to go buy the accessories they need for adequate care. Time is life oftentimes, especially in emergency crises; and we have to equip our hospitals to provide all necessary devices to render competent care at a reasonable cost. The people don’t need a charitable non-functional health centre but health institutions that can fix them up with billing fees at the end of the rendered service. This will open up concerns for health insurance, which is fundamental for operations.

What about the branches?

The branches are the issues that have to do with patient expectations/management, such as respect for persons. Patients want to be treated humanely and not bashed when seen at a healthcare institution. Next is affordability of care. This tops the priority list for most patients over quality of care. Location of institution, accommodation (that will take care of the question: “Will they have beds for us?”), the list is endless.

What is the way forward, if we are to have a vibrant health sector?

Firstly, I will say significantly increasing revenues allotted to the health ministry to equip, build and restructure health institutions. Secondly, training more care providers to improve quantity and quality in the health sector. Thirdly, there should be preventive care –going after the root causes of morbidity and mortality (bad roads, water/waste hygiene, nutrition choices, vaccination and maternal care).

There are several primary health centres in the state, yet most Nigerians don’t access them for treatment. Why is this so?

They were not cutout to meet the teeming population of Nigeria, and I am yet to see a health centre that is not already congested with patients. This makes it difficult for anyone to want to go and spend the entire day in such place.

Is strike action really a good way to press home the demands of health officials or are there other means to draw government’s attention?

Strike by health professionals is unethical. But in a country like ours, where little or nothing happens until extreme measures are taken, one can understand but need not condone the strike actions. We need to get the healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, pharmacists,etc) on board legislative issues because these people know where it hurts and are in better positions to make informed decisions on care governance in the country than the types of people on the cabinet.

…As Interpack trade fair holds in May

(By Adebayo Oladejo)

Pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria have been advised to improve their products’ packaging as this affects how consumers perceive and purchase the products.

The counsel was given by the regional representative of Trade Fair Services Limited (the West African representative of Messe Dusseldorf, Germany), Mr Akhigbe Itua, while unveiling plans for this year’s edition of Interpack Processes and Packaging Trade Fair, scheduled to hold between 8 and 14 May in Germany.

Mr. Ituah, who spoke at a press briefing organised to review the upcoming trade fair at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos in February, noted that as the purchasing power of  Nigerian consumers continues to grow, the demand for quality packaging becomes the “core differentiator” on the store shelf.

“Packaging is very important to the pharmaceutical manufacturers and others because it is the last step the manufacturing companies take before they get to the consumers, and the way a product is packaged plays a prominent role in deciding its acceptability or otherwise,” Ituah noted.

He also added that “in terms of curbing the menace of counterfeiting which has ravaged our pharmaceutical markets, packaging and proper labeling can be used conveniently to differentiate between a genuine product and the fake one. There is no way one could imitate a genuine and well packaged product that will make it look like the original.”

Providing more information on the forthcoming trade fair, Ituah said the event would have about 2,700 exhibitors from over 60 countries who would present the future direction of packaging technology to 166,000 visitors in Dusseldorf, Germany. He added that Trade Fair Services Limited, which had been in existence for over 30 years, would provide consular, travel, accommodation and on-site support to Nigerians who would be travelling for the event.

He explained further that the scope of business interests that would be covered at the trade fair would include processes and machinery for food and beverages, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, consumer goods (non-food), industrial goods, packaging materials as well as services for the confectionary and bakery industries.

Advising pharmaceutical manufacturers on the benefits of the fair, Ituah said,”My advice to them is that they should try as much as possible to be part of this year’s edition as it is the biggest platform for manufacturers all over the world. It is also going to be a platform that will afford them opportunity to meet other manufacturers, speak to machine manufacturers, makers of consumables, make them know the direction where technology is going, understand the basis for knowledge transfer, get inputs from much more established companies with regards to how they can improve their own manufacturing businesses here in Nigeria and many other benefits. So, it’s definitely going to be a worthwhile experience for them.”

Speaking further, Mr Ituah said those who are already familiar with Interpack know that the trade fair, which is held every three years, is the biggest international summit of an extremely dynamic sector, where the latest innovations in packaging products and associated process technology can be seen firsthand. He added that the fair is the leading and largest global platform for packaging and related processes technology.

Speaking on the unique features and opportunities that abound in Germany, Sophia Stefan from the German consulate used the platform to highlight the global attraction of Germany as a business destination, noting that those travelling to Germany are open to an avalanche of opportunities. According to her, Germany offers high level of productivity, innovation and quality of life to its citizens and visitors, while the government places a top priority on education and infrastructural development.

(By Temitope Obayendo)

Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN), Chief Bunmi Olaopa, has disclosed that for local manufacturing of drugs in Nigeria to meet the National Health Policy ratio of 70 per cent, as opposed to the 30 per cent for imported drugs, there is need for a deliberate policy of government to encourage patronage of locally produced medicines.

Olaopa, who spoke to Pharmanews in an exclusive chat, condemned the imbalance in the ratio of imported drugs over indigenously produced ones, adding that, except a drastic step is taken by the government to intervene; the objectives of the National Health Policy would continue to be a mirage.

The PMG-MAN boss also bemoaned the influx of foreign companies into the country’s drug market, noting that the trend could be detrimental to the development of local manufacturers who play crucial roles in fostering self-sufficiency in drug production.

“The influx is not restricted to Indian companies alone; all the European and American companies that left in the 1980s are all back. The South African companies are not left out of the scramble for the lucrative Nigerian market. Local drug manufacture, like food production, should be seen from the security perspective”, he asserted.

Speaking on the need for PMG-MAN members and research institutions to collaborate on herbal studies, he said it had been estimated by WHO that by the year 2030, Nigeria would host about 60 million patients with hypertension as well as 18.6 million with diabetes, in addition to the about one million cancer cases recorded annually, adding that the only key to overcoming the high disease burden is investment in herbal medicines.

“It is high time we challenged our universities and research institutions like NIPRD to collaborate with Nigerian drug manufacturers to focus on this area,” he stressed. “However we must realise that the cost of pharmaceutical research is high and it may cost hundreds of millions of naira to get a drug into the market.”

When asked about PMG-MAN’s efforts to curb the activities of drug counterfeiters, Olaopa noted that the group is self-regulating as prospective members are subjected to the Good Manufacturing Practice Audit before they are admitted. He also added that periodic audits for compliance are regularly carried out to ensure that standards are maintained.

He further hinted on the cordial relationship between NAFDAC and PMG-MAN, which ensures that a manufacturer must belong to the umbrella association before his locally manufactured products can be registered.

He maintained that it is also the duty of members to be whistle-blowers by reporting fake drug manufacturers to NAFDAC which is empowered to enforce applicable laws and prosecute violators.

(By Adebayo Oladejo)

It was a moment of joyous reunion, pleasant reminiscences and fitting recognitions as the Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, held its 50th anniversary and alumni reunion programme.

The event which took place from 27 February to 2 March in the university campus also featured presentation of awards to selected alumni who have distinguished themselves in various fields of endeavour, as well as other individuals and corporate bodies who have contributed significantly to the development of the prestigious faculty.

The dinner and awards ceremony which was held at the Chris Ogunbanjo Hall, OAU, under the chairmanship of Pharm. Bruno Nwankwo, chairman, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), had in attendance several eminent personalities, including Prof Festus Adio Ogunbona, former chairman, PCN, and former deputy vice-chancellor (Administration), OAU; Prof G.O Onawunmi, dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, OAU; Pharm. (Sir) Ifeanyi Atueyi, publisher, Pharmanews; Pharm. Chief Bunmi Olaopa, managing director, Evans Medical Plc. and chairman, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN); Pharm. (Alh) Adebayo Ismail Olufemi, national chairman, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN); Prof Kolawole T. Jaiyeoba, vice-chancellor, Bishop Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo; Prof Saburi Adesanya, vice-chancellor, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State; Pharm. Lekan  Asuni, managing director, GSK Nigeria; and Pharm Olakunle Ekundayo, managing director, Drugfield Pharmaceuticals Limited.

Beaming with smiles, Prof Onawunmi expressed her delight at being privileged to witness such an historic occasion in her lifetime, noting that it was a great honour to be in the midst of alumni of the faculty who had become movers and shakers of Pharmacy practice in Nigeria and in Diaspora.

“We feel honoured and privileged to have our senior citizens in our midst tonight and we are also using this opportunity to appreciate their constant support and assistance in various categories to their alma mater,” she said.

Chairman of the event, Pharm. Bruno Nwankwo, observed that gone were the days when Pharmacy and pharmacists were not recognised or acknowledged in the nation, adding that the profession had fought very hard to be reckoned with in the health sector. He also used the occasion to further challenge fellow pharmacists.

“We need to know why we are in this profession because pharmacy profession is evolving as it has moved from being product-based to being patient-based and, as such, we should endeavour to practise professionally and always remember who we are and where we are coming from,” he counselled.

The highpoint of the event was the presentation of awards in different categories to distinguished alumni of the faculty.

Prof. Irukaku Okeke was awarded in the category of “OAU Pharmacy Ambassador in Diaspora”; “Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, former minister of health and chairman, Juli Plc.,was awarded in the category of “Alumnus with Distinguished Community Practice as Pacesetter and Role Model”; while Profs. Cyprian Onyeji, Kolawole Jaiyeoba and Saburi Adesanya were awarded in the category of “OAU Pharmacy Alumni with Distinguished Academic Practice as Pacesetters/Role Models”.

In the category of “Distinguished OAU Pharmacy Alumni in Sectors of Economy Beyond Pharmacy” Pharm. (Sir) IfeanyiAtueyi;Pharm. Joseph Odumodu, DG, Standards Organisation of Nigeria; Pharm. Gbolagade Osibodu; Pharm. Olu Akanmu; Pharm. Sam Nda-Isaiah, publisher, Leadership Newspapers; and Pharm. Ayo Otuyalo were honoured with awards.

Other award recipients and their respective categories were: Pharm. Olumide Akintayo, Pharm. (Lady) Eme Ufot Ekaete and Pharm. (Sir) Samuel Agboifo (“Alumni of the Faculty Who Have Provided Leadership to the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria); Prof Festus Adio Ogunbona and Pharm. Adebayo Lamikanra (“OAU Pharmacy Alumni with Distinguished Academic Service to Alma Mater”); Pharm. Rufus Omotayo (“OAU Pharmacy Alumnus with Distinguished Practice in Hospital/Administration as Pacesetter/Role Model”); Pharm. Olakunle Ekundayo (OAU Pharmacy Alumni with Distinguished Industrial Practice as Pacesetters/Role Models); Ifeanyi Okoye and Pharm. (Chief) Bunmi Olaopa and Pharm. Charles Akinsete (“OAU Alumni with Distinguished Support to Alma Mater in Various Forms”);Pharm. Samuel Ohuabunwa and Pharm. Ayo Otuyalo (“OAU Pharmacy Alumni with Distinguished Financial Support to Alma Mater”); and Profs Olanrewaju Ogunlana, Abayomi Sofowora and AjibolaOlaniyi (“Foundation Teachers”).

Faculty of Pharmacy, OAU, was founded in 1962 as Department of Pharmacy under the Faculty of Sciences, making it the premier institution to provide pharmacy education in Nigeria. The department was upgraded to a full-fledged faculty in 1969, with four main departments: Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy, and Pharmaceutics. However, as the faculty grew in vision and status over the years, a Drug Research and Production Unit, and an additional department, Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Administration, were established to consolidate the various efforts on teaching, research and service.

“Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Life is for those who take risks. Those who do not take any risks take the greatest risk of all. The greatest risk in life is to wait for and depend upon others for your security and the greatest security is to plan and act, and to take the risks necessary that will make you independent, joyful and fulfilled. It feels nice to be comfortable, but if we are comfortable all the time, we miss the chance to stretch and grow. A ship is safe in a harbour, but that is not what ships are for. Helen Keller said, “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature. Life is either a daring adventure or it’s nothing at all.”

Albert Einstein once said, “Without mystery, life is as meaningless as a snuffed out candle.” Mystery, by definition, resides in the unknown, which of course, in turn, resides outside our comfort zones.

It is difficult for some people to resist the temptation to force themselves into the pattern of being average. One needs only to remember that a groove may be safe – but as one wears away at it, the groove becomes first a rut, and then finally a grave. John Whittier, a popular New England 19th century poet, wrote an often quoted poem describing a life in which one does not break out of their comfort zones and realise their dreams:

Maud Muller

Alas for maiden, alas for judge,

For rich repriner and household drudge!

God pity them both! And pity us all,

Who vainly the dreams of youth recall:

For of all sad words of tongue or pen

The saddest are these, it might have been!

If you ask Steven Hawking, the world’s foremost physicist, about the universe, he will respond by saying, “It has no beginning in time, no ending in time, and no edges in space, and nothing for a creator to do.” If you think about this, it is impossible to comprehend. The secret to perpetual growth is to develop the habit to live outside of your comfort zone. As a prominent scientist from the early part of the 20th century once said, “The universe is not only stranger than we think; it is stranger than we can think.”

The reason why functioning within your comfort zone is the norm, rather than the exception, is that it tends to regulate our life and, on the surface, seems to make things easier. Within that comfort zone, we develop a pattern of successfully caring for our basic needs. The problem is that remaining in the comfort zone also causes us to underachieve. So, let me ask you a direct question: Is your comfort zone holding you back from reaching you potential? Is it holding you back from living your purpose or setting and reaching worthy goals?

The most effective way to break out of your comfort zone is to set higher goals and create an ACTION PLAN. This action plan will clarify your purpose and help you to identify the internal barriers that may be in your way. Your action steps must take some risk. You simply must live outside your comfort zone, in order to grow.

It is critical for you to focus on the habit of comfort zone EXPANSION. This literally means PERPETUAL GROWTH. The Roman Empire flourished and dominated the world for over 1,000 years; yet when its primary focus of planning, building and economic expansion was replaced with luxury and pleasure, the empire crumbled, and it crumbled from within. Luxury and pleasure are wonderful, but they will be your downfall, unless they are combined with planning and commitment for achievement. In fact, your upkeep will become your downfall, if your outgo exceeds your income.

When we find ourselves settling for security and stability, at the expense of transformation, transition and growth, we are making a big mistake. Emerson put it this way, “Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.”

Most people are inhibited by the fear of committing themselves to action. They do not understand that to risk is to exceed one’s usual limits in reaching for any goal, and that uncertainty and danger are simply part of the territory. To get profit without risk, experience without danger, and reward without work, is as impossible as it is to live without being born.

Children who are cared for by parents who are inconsistent in nurturing or who are emotionally absent or unaffectionate or passive, produce, in their turn, children who become adults with one overriding need: to limit any potential loss of love in their lives.

Feelings follow a predictable, invariable pattern. When a loss threatens you, you feel anxious. When a loss occurs, you feel hurt. When hurt is unresolved, it becomes anger. When anger is held back, it creates guilt. When guilt is unrelieved, depression occurs. If you take care of your fear, hurt, and anger, guilt and depression cannot happen.

The primary reason we are uncomfortable with comfort zone expansion is fear, which can be defined as False Evidence Appearing Real. Avoiding risk, staying with a limited belief system, will guarantee failure and self-imposed bondage.

People who stay within their comfort zones are risk-adverse. They are stuck in mediocrity. Those who choose caution over challenge and opportunity do well to listen to Germane Green who said, “Security is when everything is settled, when nothing can happen to you; security is denial of life.” Earle Nightingale, who is called the Dean of Human Achievement, said simply, “Security? There is no security! There is only opportunity.”

The future belongs to those rare few men and women who dare to move out of their comfort zones, into the area of uncertainty or challenge. Remember the words of the great German philosopher, Goethe, who said, “Act boldly and unseen forces will come to your aid.”

Culled from SUCCESS TO SIGNIFICANCE by RICHARD CARSWELL

(By Yusuff Moshood)

In 2011, the University of Ibadan won a grant from the MacArthur Foundation’s Africa Higher Education Initiative and used it to establish a Centre for Drug Discovery Development and Production (CDDDP) in the Faculty of Pharmacy.

According to the Dean of the faculty, Professor Chinedum O. Babalola, the CDDDP was established to help improve the quality and availability of essential medicines in West Africa.

Professor Babalola, while speaking at a one-day workshop organised by the CDDDP in conjunction with BASF(a chemical company based in Europe) on 6 June, 2013, with the theme, “From Powder to Tablets”, said that there was need to build the capability and capacity to discover, develop, produce and adequately regulate medicines targeted to the needs of Africans.

The vision of CDDDP, she explained, was to have a centre of excellence in West Africa that would serve as a platform for world-class training in drug discovery, development and production, by building Africa’s capacity to make her own drugs in Africa, by Africans for Africa and the world.

To achieve its vision, the CDDDP, she said, would develop a curriculum and run postgraduate programmes in Drug Development, Industrial and Medicine Regulation; offer short courses in Good Manufacturing Practices for target groups; strengthen existing facilities for research and development (R&D) in drug discovery and production; develop pharmaceutical products from research findings; and establish a cGMP facility pre-qualifiable by WHO for pilot manufacturing and quality assurance of medicines circulating in the sub-region for service provision and bridging the gap between academia and industry.

Aside the aforementioned workshop held in Lagos, the CDDDP also organised a three-day international conference on “Medicine Regulation of Claims: From Concept to Launch” in collaboration with Reckitt Benckiser, UK.  The conference held at the University of Ibadan from 2 to 4 October, 2013 with over 150 participants, which included virtually all the stakeholders in the drug industry (regulators, industrial pharmacists, academia and consumers).

The CDDDP has also signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with several institutions and agencies, among which are: National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) Abuja, and the Kilimanjaro School of Pharmacy (KSP), Tanzania.

Highlights of services to be rendered by the CDDDP, according to Prof. Babalola, include: quality assurance of pharmaceuticals; food and cosmetics; anti-counterfeiting research, bioavailability/bioequivalence studies for registration of generics; evaluation of claims; clinical trials, contract manufacturing/API pilot manufacturing; formulation of herbal medicines; toxicity studies; and short-term courses in good pharmaceutical practices.

The CDDDP initiative is quite laudable and should be of tremendous help in building capacity for the provision of quality essential medicines for the teeming population of Nigeria and the sub-Sahara Africa region.

In this interview with Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis, Chief (Sir) Rex Albert Obi Ezegbo, KSC, FPSN, managing director of Rex Chemists, Onitsha, takes a cursory look at the evolution of pharmacy practice from what it used to be during his day as a young pharmacist to the present time. Excerpts:

Tell us about your background

I attended CMS Central School, AkpakaogweOgidi, for my primary education and finished in 1949. Later, I gained admission into the prestigious Dennis Memorial Grammar School (DMGS), Onitsha (1950-1954))and passed the Senior Cambridge School Certificate Exam in Grade I in 1954.

How about your tertiary education?

I  gained  admission into (the then) Nigerian College of Arts Science and Technology, lbadan to do Advanced Level Physics, Chemistry and Zoology for two years, and Pharmacy for three years. I did the programmes on full federal government scholarship (covering board, tuition, books, pocket money and transport). I passed the London GCE Advanced Level and Cambridge Higher School Certificates Exams in 1957 in Physics Chemistry and Zoology, respectively.

When did you become a full-fledged pharmacist?

That was in 1960 when I graduated after I finished studying my Pharmacy course for three years.

Were you involved in any form of extra-curricular activities in the course of your study?

Not exactly. But way back in the college, I was one of the student leaders. Also, I was a distinguished sportsman in high jump and 220 yards both at Dennis Memorial Grammar School and Nigerian College of Arts Science and Technology. In fact, at a point I was honoured with the school colour in athletics (1954).

In retrospect, can you confidently say studying Pharmacy was a good decision for you?

Looking back, I cannot fully say I have regrets whatsoever to have studied Pharmacy. This is because I am one of the most successful pharmacists in Nigeria today and I enjoyed the practice of pharmacy throughout my active years.

Tell us about your work experience after your graduation

My journey as a pharmacist after graduation in 1960 was quite eventful. I recall joining Glaxo Pharmaceutical Company (Nig.) Limited. In fact, I was the first Nigerian medical representative with Glaxo in Nigeria as at 1961. Later, I was promoted as eastern regional manager of Glaxo in 1970. I continued in that capacity until 1976, when I founded my own company – Rex Chemists Limited. Meanwhile, in the midst of these, I had the privilege to attend courses in England on management, sales, field/sales control and training in 1973.

How do you see today’s practice compared to your day?

What more can I say? There is no way you will compare the two without seeing differences. Pharmacy practice today appears more chaotic than in the past. In the past, only pharmacists imported drugs and those in retail practice enjoyed fully their 331/3per cent professional margin and so on. Those working as medical representatives worked with samples of drugs and promotional gifts. But today, all those are history.

Tell us more about controversies, scandals and other disturbing issues plaguing the practice that tend to evoke memories of the past.

Controversies have always pervaded the practice from time. We have had controversy from conflicts with patent medicine dealers, with doctors, and sometimes silent illicit acquiescence of officials of the Ministry of Health.

Tell us about some challenges facing Pharmacy practice in Nigeria and how they can be surmounted

The challenges facing the practice of pharmacy today are indeed numerous. They include selling of drugs in the open market and along the streets. Another is the importation of drugs by non-pharmacists and drug merchants indiscriminately and proliferation of patent medicine shops.

How do we curb the problems?

To curb the trend, the only solution is that the federal government should summon the courage and determination to close all open markets for drugs and clear out all patent medicine sheds in the market because those are areas where unwholesome activities go on. Let them be resettled along the roads like pharmacists where their address can be traced and their shops can be inspected.

How about fake drugs?

That is not our problem alone; fake drugs now exist all over the world. However in Nigeria,I believe it can be curbed by the measures suggested earlier. That is, closure of markets and patent medicine shops where they are hidden and are hardly inspected. Secondly, involving the countries of origin to inspect and certify products before shipment to Nigeria. The country of origin will have to set up a machinery at a fee to Nigeria, but will be held responsible if the drug is found wanting.

Over the years, you must have seen many PSN Presidents come and go. Was there one who really left a lasting impression on you?

Indeed I have seen many PSN presidents come and go. To be candid, none has made any lasting impression on me.

Are you serious?

Yes. Perhaps Pharm. OlumideAkintayomightbe an exception. He has not been on the seat for too long and I have not met him face-to-face, but he gives me the impression that he is a go-getter and a lion for work. Why I say he is a lion for work is because of his ability to galvanise other arms of health workers – nurses, laboratory scientists, radiographers, etc. to present a formidable force to the government.

How active were you in pharmaceutical activities?

I was involved in several pharmaceutical activities in the past. For the record, I was once a First Deputy President of PSN (National). At the community level, I was also a national chairman of NAGPP (now ACPN). Other posts I held were PSN chairman (New Anambra State); chairman, Committee on Fake Drugs (old PSN, Anambra State Branch) and chairman, Committee on Review of Rules and Regulations (old Anambra State).

Are there some major awards given to you in recognition of your selfless service?

Quite a handful, I must admit. They include: Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (FPSN, 1991); Knight of St. Christopher in Anglican Communion(KSC) in 1992; Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Sales management (FNISM) in 1996; and Honourary Life Vice-President of Onitsha Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture            (2001).

If you were not to be a pharmacist, what other profession would you have opted for?

If I had failed to be a pharmacist which was my first choice, perhaps I would have striven to be a medical doctor or a mechanical engineer.

Is there any particular age when an active pharmacist should retire?

A pharmacist who wishes to start his own business should retire from whatever job of another person or organisation he is doing at the age of about 45 years when he is still left with reasonable energy. There is however no particular age when an active pharmacist should retire. His retirement age will be determined by the state of his health.

As an elder in the Pharmacy profession, what is your advice to young pharmacists?

My candid advice to young pharmacists is to work very hard and be honest in whatever organisation they find themselves. Infact, they should work as if that job is theirs. By so doing, they will develop the culture of hard work and industry. If and when they decide to start their own businesses,they are bound to maintain the same tempo of industry.

In this engaging interview with Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis, Dr Linus Igwemezie, the executive vice president and head of the Novartis Malaria Initiative, spoke on several pressing issues regarding the Nigerian pharmaceutical industry, including vital lessons local companies can learn from foreign ones. He also highlighted the challenges some companies face with the implementation of the Mobile Authentication Service (MAS) technology, as well as the reasons Novartis introduced an academy to train Nigerian pharmacists in the private sector.

EXCERPTS:

Tell us  about your background

       As a young Nigerian, I spent the better part of my primary and secondary education here in the country. I also did my B.Pharm. degree at the University of Ife (Now Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University). I then left for North America for my graduate studies and obtained both a Master’s and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. I also added an MBA from the Wharton Business School, University of  Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.

Were there some local companies you worked with before opting for Novartis Pharma?

I started working for mega pharmaceutical companies like Merckin Montreal, Canada; then Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), New Jersey,USA,and Novartis Pharma, New Jersey, USA. I have had the good fortune of working on some of the most innovative new drugs that have been introduced in the last two decades. For example, I worked on HIV/AIDs programmes while I was at BMS and both Videx and Zerit came out of those programmes. At Novartis, we introduced several anti-cancer drugs, including Glivec, Zometa, Femara, Tasigna, Jakavi and Afinitor.These drugs are helping to improve outcomes, transforming  the lives of patients living with cancer around the world.

In January 2012, I was appointed Executive Vice President and Head of the Novartis Malaria Initiative.

What is it like for a Nigerian to be a vice president of global brands at Novartis?

Novartis is a very diverse company. You have to be at the top of your game and be able to deliver on your objectives; but the company is committed to investing in its people. The key for me is that, since I have a lot of training and experience, I am able to do the parts that are assigned to me, and more. The better you work, the more you are given.

Also, I have been lucky to work with a wonderful team of people over the years and to have mentors who have positively influenced my career.

What factors did you consider before joining Novartis?

When I completed my MBA in 2000, I was looking for an entrepreneurial environment. I actually considered going to work for a medium-sized biotech company where I could make a big impact, but Novartis was building the oncology business unit at the same time. The design was a small company that would operate like a biotech but with the backing of the big company. They told me they had what I was looking for and asked if I could join them.

I decided to join Novartis Oncology in 2001 and it has turned out great for me. What I have learnt in Novartis is how to develop drugs – what key information is needed, what structures and teams, the strategy and decision-making process in a very complex environment. These are invaluable experiences if you are going to be a leader in the pharma industry.

What is your assessment of the pharmaceutical industry in the Western world compared to the Nigerian situation?

Clearly, in the West, things are well organised. You know, they have been doing this for so many years, much longer than us. There are a number of issues I see in Nigeria. First, there is excessive fragmentation in the drug distribution system – too many players involved, some of whom are not qualified.  This clearly lends itself to infiltration of the system with substandard drugs, as well as counterfeits.  Second, in the Western countries, the drug regulations are better developed and there is strong regulatory enforcement. Third, in Nigeria,there is limited availability of human talent, technology, infrastructure (e.g. power) necessary to do the complex work of pharmaceutical R&D and manufacturing.  Finally, there is more restricted access to investment capital compared to Western countries.

How best do you think we can resolve these issues?

I think we can strengthen the regulatory oversight, including strong enforcement.  We need to continue to improve pharmaceutical and scientific education to ensure availability of necessary human talent.  We must invest in pharmaceutical R&D through the entire value chain – preclinical research, clinical research, product development and manufacturing.

I would suggest that local companies should pay attention to innovation and value-added activities. There is no point coming into the market as the thirtieth producer of Panadol; you will not be widely successful.

What measures is Novartis taking to ensure Coartem is not faked or cloned?

Novartis takes the issue of counterfeits and fake drugs seriously and we have a broad strategy in place to address this. We work closely with governments, donors, funders and law enforcement agencies to investigate any report of counterfeits or fake drugs.  We also have a product security team that carry out continuous surveillance so that any kind of report we get, we analyse it and pass on the information to the law enforcement agents. We use technology available to us, and we also educate our customers to ensure that they obtain Coartem through our designated supply chain.

We continue to be vigilant, constantly searching for new approaches and looking at all of the options available to us, so it is not just one solution but a number of activities that are designed to deter counterfeiters from faking Coartem.

The Mobile Authentication Service (MAS) has been suggested as an ideal anti-counterfeiting measure for drug manufacturers in Nigeria. Unfortunately, not many pharmaceutical companies are keen to embrace the technology. What is your take on this?

Well, we have agreed to use the MAS in Nigeria to meet the local regulatory requirements. But implementing this is not as easy as it sounds; there are many complexities to think about. For one, it is new and a lot of companies are not used to having an additional label on their packaging with information being controlled by somebody outside the company. This is the first time we are going to have such a thing on one of our brands.

There is also the concern that the MAS directive will not be enforced.Manycompanies worry about making the investment needed for the implementation of MAS, but if it is ultimately not imposed, it puts the company at a competitive disadvantage.

Also the added cost of including MAS in the packaging may be passed on to the consumer which would increase the price of drugs. Another reason is related to the issue of added complexity for the manufacturing plant.When you add the MAS for Nigerian products only, the plant would see this as a different packaging, thereby stopping the regular production and loading the Nigerian specific packaging, which slows things down.

In the face of stiff competition from other multinational companies, how does a company like Novartis manage to stay afloat?

Novartis’ success is driven by a number of factors.  As a company, we differentiate ourselves from our competitors through a strong focus on innovation. In 2012, we invested 21 per cent of pharmaceuticals net sales in R&D. We also have six divisions that offer a wide array of products, including novel pharmaceuticals, high quality generic products, vaccines, over-the-counter, animal health, and eye care products.  These divisions are leaders in their categories.For example, our generics division, Sandoz, is the second largest producer of generic drugs worldwide. In fact, Sandoz is well positioned to provide high quality, affordable generic drugs to the Nigerian market.

If you put all of these together, you are really building a brand that is known for innovation, quality and a diverse portfolio. These are some of the ingredients for success. It is more likely that Novartis will bring the next brilliant malaria drug into the market. That is what I am working on.

What lessons can local pharmaceutical companies learn from global brands like Novartis?

Again, I need to say this. The local guys (manufacturers) need to understand that to be successful, you cannot continue to be a local player. You have to be able to play at a quality standard that is international. Look at the Indian manufacturers.They are now major suppliers of generic products to Western countries. You have to be able to do some R&D and make investment in your people so you have the necessary talent pool.

We heard Novartis has launched its first academy for pharmacists in the private sector in Nigeria. What’s the essence of this?

The pharmacy academy is a value-added service for pharmacists who sell our antimalarial drug, Coartem, to strengthen their knowledge in the areas of prevention, diagnosis and testing, and treatment of malaria.  It is a pilot programme geared towards capacity building. Again, we believe that just selling drugs is not enough. You ought to teach people how to use itso that you can maximise the value.

Is it a programme you hope to sustain?

We piloted it to see whether people want it and the result was just overwhelming – extremely positive! So we will maintain and even expand it. You asked me earlier how Novartis succeeds;one of the ways is through innovative, value adding programmes such as this.