In its quest to meet the healthcare and other needs of Ologuneru residents and its environs in Ibadan, Robakeye Pharmacy, one of the fastest growing retail outlets in Ibadan, has opened a new branch in the interior part of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Located along Ologuneru-Eruwa Road, Ibadan, the official unveiling of the ultra-modern outlet held recently, was well attended by pharmacists, especially those under the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Oyo State Branch, stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry in the state, and others.
Speaking at the event, Pharm. Adebayo Gbadamosi, managing director, Robakeye Pharmacy, remarked that the commissioning of the ultra-modern outlet, which came to reality after about eight years he left the industry as an industrial pharmacist was a reward of perseverance, dedication, vision and commitment, adding that pharmacy was a dream come true for him because he had always wanted to work for himself.
Reminiscing on the beginnings, Gbadamosi, who is also the chairman, ACPN, Oyo State said: “It has always been my dream to build a community pharmacy where the need of our people would be met medically and in every other aspect of it, so we started small in Omi-Adio area in Ibadan about eight years ago, although it’s not a developed area, but our concept was to project what the community pharmacy is all about to the unreached and give them opportunity to access healthcare easily, before we latter moved to Odo-Ona, then later to Ologuneru where we are today,” he said.
“I resigned as the National Sales Manager at Global Healthcare, having previously worked as the National Sales Manager for Maydon Pharmaceuticals before I resigned and decided to face the community practice squarely. So, Ologuneru is our third outlet in Ibadan and the biggest, but it is at this place in Ologun Eru that I seriously sat down to work on the vision properly”.
He added, “Robakeye is building a family of care where we satisfy our immediate environment with their daily needs, both pharmaceutically and other aspects, and with the speed we are going, God on our side, we want to move from Ibadan to other southwest states and from there to the rest of the country, Africa and to the world”.
Performing the official commissioning of the ultra-modern outlet, the Deputy State Pastor, Living Faith Church, Pastor Michael Jaiyeoba, congratulated Gbadamosi, who is also a deacon in the church for keying into the vision of the venture, in erecting such a magnificent edifice to provide quality medicines for the people of the community, adding that if the vision is sustained and nurtured, it will give birth to another.
The chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Oyo State Branch, Pharm. Adegboyega Oguntoye, also lauded the efforts of Gbadamosi in establishing a standard retail facility in the interior part of the state, noting that with the presence of the outlet and others around, the people of Ologuneru and its environs should be rest assured of better services in terms of pharmaceuticals and in every other aspect.
He added: “This is a commendable development and it would no doubt bring positive impact to healthcare practice generally in the state because community pharmacy practice is gradually moving towards primary healthcare provision whereby the people of this community would have access to quality drugs, quality pharmaceutical services, quality drug information, and quality health-related programmes”.
In his remarks at the event, Pharm. Abiodun Ajibade, former chairman, PSN, Oyo State, noted that a facility that has brought every human need together is obviously doing well.”People are getting convinced about the organised retail system and with what young professionals in the class of Robakeye Pharmacy, and Vanguard Pharmacy are doing, we are actually meeting the yearnings of people and others should begin to look into this direction and it will be better for us”.
Also speaking, the duo of Pharm. Nike Olatawura of Olabola Pharmacy, and Pharm. Olalekan Orokotan of Jolat Pharmacy said the opening of the third branch of Robakeye holds the promise of a better and brighter future for the pharmaceutical profession, saying it’s already changing the landscape of pharmacy practice in the state.
