My Vision is to Give Hospital & Administrative Pharmacists their Rightful Positions- Buhari

pharmacy

Pharm. Abdulrashid Bashar Buhari, is the Deputy Director of Pharmaceutical Service and the Head of Department, National Eye Centre, Kaduna. A former national vice chairman and national secretary of the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN), Pharm. Buhari is also the Project Manager of the Essential Drugs Revolving Fund Scheme, of the National Eye Centre, Kaduna.  He is a major contender for the position of the AHAPN national chairman, in the upcoming election, scheduled to hold at the 20^th Annual National Scientific Conference of AHAPN, from 30 July to 3 August 2018, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. In this exclusive chat with Pharmanewsonline, Buhari speaks on how he will use his wealth of experience, to liaise with all relevant agencies and stakeholders, from the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, to the Federal Ministry of Health, to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, to the National Council on Establishment, to bring about the desired result that would favour members of AHAPN, if he emerges the AHAPN national chairman.

Excerpt below:

As a former national secretary of AHAPN, what stimulated your interest in organised pharmacy activities, and in what other capacity have you functioned in professional association?

Firstly, my love for the pharmacy profession has been my driving force in all activities I find myself, as it relates to the profession. Generally speaking, my life has ever been devoted to serving God and humanity, right from my primary school days, up to the university, even to my present workplace. My greatest interest in life has been to defend peoples’ right and to protect their interests. I have also functioned as the national vice chairman of AHAPN.

Tell about your work experience and achievements made so far?

Presently, I am a Deputy Director of Pharmaceutical Service and the Head of Department. A position I have held from 1992. I was able to set up the Essential Drugs Revolving Fund Scheme in the hospital, established the local production of eye drop unit, Library and drug information unit. Again, I successfully established the pharmacy consultation unit as against the window dispensing designed for the hospital. I am also the Project Manager of the Essential Drugs Revolving Fund Scheme. Furthermore, I was privileged to serve in the Strategic Planning Committee that designed the roadmap for National Eye Centre.

I have held the following positions in the Senior Staff Association of the National Eye Centre, Kaduna: Branch Secretary, 1993 – 2001; Branch Vice-Chairman, 2001 -2009; Branch Chairman, 2009 – 2014; and Branch JOHESU Chairman 2011 – 2014.

You are a strong contender for the position of the national chairman of AHAPN in the upcoming election at the 20th Annual Scientific Conference of AHAPN, what is the significance of your campaign   slogan, “Forging a better future for all” to the practice?

My campaign slogan “Forging a better future for all”, reveals my intention to consolidate on the gains we have made so far by collaborating with members of our Association, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, National Council on Establishment, Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and other relevant ministries and agencies as the need arise.

There have been several challenges facing pharmacists, especially hospital and administrative pharmacists in the country. Could you mention some of them and how you intend to resolve them, if you emerge the national chairman of AHAPN?

I can identify four broad challenges affecting hospital and administrative pharmacists in the country. These are: (i) Indiscriminate application of scheme of service; (ii). Non-recognition of pharmacist consultants; (iii) Non uniformity in designation of Heads of Pharmacies in hospitals; (iv) Training and retraining of hospital and administrative Pharmacists, etc.

In tackling 1-3 above, I intend to work with various stakeholders including the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation to issue and release relevant circulars to address the issues. In addition, liaising with National Council on Establishment, Ministry of Labour and Employment and other relevant ministries and agencies, to bring about the desired result that would favour members of AHAPN. I would also pragmatically engage with like-minded individuals and groups to forge a common ground which will promote the aspirations of members.

In tackling the fourth challenge, I intend to use the instrumentality of workshops and seminars to encourage members to be enterprising with a view to sponsor themselves for trainings and retraining.

Aside all these you have said, what tangible offer do you have for all hospital and administrative pharmacists in Nigeria?

I bring my experience to the table. It might be interesting to note that part of the benefits our members are enjoying presently, were achieved during my tenure as a member of the national executive. Also, I have garnered experience both as a good manager of men and resources, to become a robust unionist, who values the core values of humanity. As a deputy director, I believe my modest contributions locally and nationally to the strides of AHAPN will come in handy if I am given the mandate as the national chairman of the Association.

Where do you intend to see AHAPN in the next ten years?

In ten years’ time, I want to see that all the challenges raised above are resolved and pharmacists take their rightful positions in the public service at all tiers of government.