To ameliorate the pains of Nigerians, who have been reeling under the burden of scarce and exorbitant drugs, the Clinical Pharmacists Association of Nigeria (CPAN) has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to implement the National Drug Policy.
They maintained that since the launch of the policy in 1990, there has not been effective implementation, noting that the challenges the policy was formulated to address, such as inadequacies in drug availability, supply and distribution, are still existing and made worse by economic factors.
Speaking with Pharmanews in an exclusive interview, at the recently concluded 2nd International Conference of CPAN, the National Chairman of the association, Dr Joseph Madu, conveyed the views of the group, stressing that the prevailing circumstances in the country are unfavourable for the practice of clinical pharmacy.
The National Drug Policy aims, among other objectives, to adequately supply the Nigerian populace with drugs that are effective, affordable, safe and of good quality; to ensure the rational use of such drugs; and to stimulate increased local production of essential drugs. While clinical pharmacists are the clinicians and their major task among others is to prevent, detect, categorise, and to resolve drug therapy problems.
According to Madu, “The National Drug Policy encourages entrenchment of clinical pharmacy practice in all our health institutions. What the government can do now is to really boost the implementation, because I must say the implementation is not really there. Although the current minister of health has been trying so much to address the issue, we are not there yet.
“The implementation of the policy will, to a great extent, focus more on the clinical area of pharmacy practice, which will be better for us as a nation, as it will help to give the best care possible to patients.
“There is also need for the implementation of the policy to address the problem of drug abuse and misuse because a lot of people take drugs without prescription and commit crime of all sorts with it.”
The CPAN boss also threw his weight behind the regulation of clinical pharmacy practice in the country, stating that no pharmacist can delve into the practice without adequate postgraduate training. He emphasised that it is not every pharmacist that is a clinical pharmacist.
In a related interview with the Lagos State Coordinator of CPAN, Dr Arinola Joda, she explained that clinical pharmacy is an integral part of the healthcare responsibilities for the pharmacist. According to her, with clinical practice, pharmacists are better able to apply their knowledge and skills to help patients get the best out of medicines used.
She said: “As a clinical pharmacist, your focus is on helping patients get optimal outcome from the use of the drugs that they have for their conditions.
“So, the theme is about clinical pharmacists as gateway to sustainable healthcare; and because we have the skills to provide, we are able to better manage the health of the patients at the community level.”
Asked about the roles of clinical pharmacists in the provision of affordable and accessible drugs to patients, Joda disclosed that, while clinical pharmacists cannot present drugs at prices that are not sustainable for their businesses, they ensure accessibility of healthcare at the cheapest rate to patients. She added that they ensure that there is no waste, and that the right patient gets the right medications, at the right time and with the right information.
“We also ensure that the drugs that patients are getting meet their individual characteristics. If you give a newly married man an antihypertensive that can cause erectile dysfunction, you know that you have done him a disservice because you are going to affect his home, he will not be able to perform. But if you give somebody retiring, you can say he may not be bothered with the adverse effect of the drug as such.”
The keynote speaker at the conference, Dr Teresa Pounds, president of WASPEN, who spoke on the theme: “Global trends in patient care: Clinical pharmacy as a gateway to sustainable development”, identified some challenges of the Nigerian health sector, including hierarchal structure, underutilisation of pharmacists for technical skills rather than clinical expertise, minimal collaborative practice, lack of shared information and limited opportunity for innovation. She added that pharmacists can bridge the gap in all these areas.
The seasoned international clinical pharmacist averred that clinical pharmacists serve as catalysts for positive health outcomes and sustainable healthcare delivery models. According to her, they play crucial roles in medication management, chronic disease management, medication safety and quality, patient education and empowerment, as well as coordination of care and preventative care.
Pounds also listed opportunities that abound for clinical pharmacists to drive sustainable healthcare system to include promotion of rational drug use, optimising medication regimens, ensuring medication adherence among patients, active engagement with patients and healthcare teams, enhanced efficiency and effectiveness of medication-related services, reduction of medication errors, and promotion of evidence-based practices.
Underscoring the importance of teamwork in healthcare, she stated that each discipline plays a vital role, stressing that if any profession is missing, the big picture of the healthcare team will be disrupted.
