– Says pharmacists have a unique role in mental health
A consultant psychiatrist and mental health advocate, Dr Gbonjubola Abiri, has urged the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) to incorporate mental health training into the pharmacy curriculum, stressing that pharmacists have a vital role to play in delivering mental health services within communities. As the first port of call for medical advice and support at the grassroots level, she noted, pharmacists are well-placed to help combat the stigma and discrimination associated with mental health disorders in the country.
Highlighting the rising number of patients with mental health conditions alongside the acute shortage of specialists, Abiri underscored the importance of pharmacists in bridging the gap in mental healthcare delivery. She advocated closer collaboration with psychiatric services through integrated care models, pointing out that mental health is fundamental to human dignity, social justice, and national prosperity.
Abiri, who is also the CEO of Redi-Med Consulting, made these remarks in an exclusive interview with Pharmanews shortly after her keynote address at the 7th Annual Public Lecture/Mid-Year Meeting of the Board of Fellows of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (BoF-PSN), held recently at the Festival Hotel, Festac, Lagos.
According to her: “Pharmacists are accessible. And so, just as people turn to imams, churches and traditional healers, they can also rely on pharmacists to support adherence to psychiatric medications. Pharmacists can say no when patients come without a prescription. They can normalise conversations about mental well-being and collaborate with others.”
She stressed the need for mental health training in pharmacy schools, adding that pharmacists have a crucial role in providing psycho-education at community level, helping to prevent conditions from escalating into domestic violence, homelessness, or crime.
The psychiatrist identified professional and community attitudes, perceptions, language, and behaviour as significant barriers for people struggling with mental health issues.
“We must develop community-based training tools in pharmacies,” she continued. “When people keep returning again and again, these simple tools would help you assess whether the individual is in distress or if this is just a routine condition. As pharmaceutical professionals, you are not just dispensers of medicine. You are the gatekeepers. You are the custodians of well-being.”
Abiri also condemned the stigmatisation of patients with mental health disorders, attributing it in part to the negative influence of both conventional and social media, warning that this only worsens conditions. She called for a society that empathises with patients, where every member of the healthcare team is equipped with mental health knowledge.
Emphasising the need to change the narrative around mental health in Nigeria, she outlined its consequences for both children and adults. Children with untreated anxiety, she said, may struggle academically despite high intelligence, while adults with depression may underperform at work or withdraw socially. “We will be grateful to God if such people do not go on to end their lives by suicide,” she added.
“Stigma and discrimination come from all of us,” she echoed. “From society, employers, the media, our friends, our family, and even from patients themselves. The indicators are poor. This needs to change.”
Also speaking at the lecture, Pharm. Uche Akpakama, chairman of BoF-PSN, thanked Fellows of the Society for their participation and stressed the urgency of national attention on mental health.
“It is documented that more than a quarter of Nigeria’s population has mental health issues, exacerbated by the current socio-economic climate, including extreme poverty, internal displacement, insecurity, and unemployment,” he said.
Akpakama expressed optimism that the lecture would spark a shift in the national conversation and lead to improvements in the current state of mental health in Nigeria, while highlighting the roles of pharmacists and other health professionals in promoting awareness and offering practical strategies.
In his remarks, Pharm. Gbenga Falabi, chairman of the Planning Committee, described the annual lecture as a platform for knowledge-sharing and policy development.
“Today’s insights will deepen our understanding of mental health’s critical role in personal, community, and socio-economic development,” he stated.
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