The secretary general of the West African Post Graduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP), Prof. Noel Wannang has urged pharmacists in the country to continue to develop themselves, seek more knowledge especially in specialized areas where their expertise would be better harnessed and appreciated in the healthcare delivery system.
Prof. Wannang gave this charge while chairing a joint technical session for members of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) and Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN) at the ongoing 93rd national conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) holding in Osogbo the Osun state capital.
He noted that the coming of the PharmD programme was a welcomed development but admonised pharmacists to go steps further to acquire higher degrees and trainings in some specialised areas of pharmacy practice noting that there is a need to depart from the generalist approach to pharmacy practice and adopt a specialist approach. This he said has become necessary so that the pharmacist would not just be seen as someone who receives instruction from the doctor at the hospital or mere shop owner or medicine seller at the community pharmacy level.
He counselled hospital pharmacists especially, to look beyond drugs dispensing roles and offer more specialised roles in patient care and counseling as such would help to differentiate them from pharmacy technicians. He noted that they must exude the knowledge and expertise in pharmaceutical care, health counselling, drug information and patients care.
Wannang hinted that the WAPCP has lined up series of special programmes and trainings in areas that would help the pharmacist improve his practice for the benefit of patients and the healthcare delivery as whole
Those who graced the joint technical session include: The National Chairman of ACPN, Dr Samuel Adekola; National Chairman of AHAPN, Dr Kingsley Amibor; Dr Daniel Orunwese and host of others.
