WAPCP opens 8th Scientific Conference, urges nationwide consultant cadre implementation

The West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP), Nigeria Chapter, on Monday commenced its 8th Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting, where it calls on the Federal Government, state governments and public health institutions to fully implement the consultant pharmacist cadre across the country to improve patient care and medication safety.

Speaking during a press conference held at the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) Auditorium, Yaba, Lagos, ahead of the formal opening of the College’s 8th Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting scheduled for Tuesday 14 July, 2026, the Chapter Chairman, Dr Afusat Adesina, said expanding the roles of consultant pharmacists would significantly reduce medication errors, improve therapeutic outcomes and strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Dr Adesina noted that the conference, which runs from 12 to 14 July, features scientific paper presentations, keynote lectures, panel discussions, capacity-building sessions, the Annual General Meeting and the unveiling of the rebranded WAPCP Nigeria Chapter newsletter.

According to Dr Adesina, the conference, with the theme “Expanding Consultant Pharmacists’ Clinical Roles in Nigeria to Optimize Patient Care and Medication Safety,” is expected to be attended by over 200 consultant pharmacists, healthcare professionals, academics, policymakers, regulators, researchers, industry leaders and postgraduate trainees from within and outside Nigeria.

Adesina commended the Federal Ministry of Health for approving the consultant pharmacist cadre, describing it as a landmark achievement for the pharmacy profession and the nation’s healthcare system.

She also applauded states including Niger, Osun, Adamawa and Katsina, as well as several federal health institutions, for implementing the policy, but urged those yet to do so to accelerate its domestication.

According to her, institutions such as the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), University of Abuja Teaching Hospital and Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, alongside states including Lagos, Kaduna and Enugu, are yet to implement the consultant pharmacist cadre despite its approval by the Federal Government.

“We are not where we want to be, but we are certainly not where we started. The Federal Government has approved the consultant pharmacist cadre, and several institutions have implemented it. We are calling on all states and health institutions to domesticate the policy so that Nigerians can fully benefit from consultant pharmacy services,” she said.

Providing an update on implementation, Adesina disclosed that eight teaching hospitals, nine Federal Medical Centres, 11 state hospitals and two of the three armed forces medical facilities had so far implemented the consultant pharmacist cadre, while only five states had domesticated the policy.

She stressed that consultant pharmacists are critical members of multidisciplinary healthcare teams, providing specialist pharmaceutical care that helps prevent medication-related complications, improves treatment outcomes and enhances patient safety.

“Medication safety is a major issue. Lives are lost and enormous resources are wasted because medicines are used incorrectly. Consultant pharmacists have the expertise to prevent medication errors and ensure patients receive the safest and most effective therapies,” she stated.

The WAPCP chairman also expressed concern over the growing incidence of self-medication, irrational drug use and substance abuse, warning Nigerians against purchasing medicines from unregistered outlets.

She urged members of the public to obtain medicines only from licensed pharmacies and ensure prescription medicines are taken strictly under professional supervision.

“A registered pharmacist will not dispense prescription medicines without a valid prescription. Nigerians must avoid patronising unregistered medicine outlets because doing so exposes them to serious health risks, including kidney damage, liver disease, antimicrobial resistance, mental illness and even death,” she warned.

Chairman of the Conference Planning Committee, Dr Abubakar Daraka, said this year’s edition marked a significant milestone as the chapter upgraded its annual gathering into a full scientific conference designed to promote evidence-based pharmacy practice and professional development.

He disclosed that participants would present 21 scientific abstracts through oral and poster sessions, while capacity-building workshops would focus on the application of Artificial Intelligence in pharmacy practice and research, as well as strategies for strengthening antimicrobial stewardship to combat the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance.

Daraka said the conference would also feature panel discussions on leveraging health technology and data systems to improve medication safety, medicine quality and therapeutic outcomes, as well as strengthening local pharmaceutical manufacturing to enhance medicine security and sustainable patient care.

Speaking on Nigeria’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity, he observed that although the country has over 160 pharmaceutical companies, virtually all Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) used in local drug production are imported, making the nation heavily dependent on foreign sources for essential raw materials.

He, however, commended the Federal Government’s Presidential Initiative on Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain, describing it as a strategic intervention capable of transforming the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector if sustained.

“If these interventions continue over the next five to ten years, Nigeria can achieve medicine security, significantly reduce dependence on imports and emerge as a leading pharmaceutical manufacturing hub in Africa,” he said.

Also speaking, a representative of the Association of Consultant Pharmacists of Nigeria (ASCOP), Dr Solomon Kelechi Mwafuru attributed the slow implementation of the consultant pharmacist cadre largely to institutional resistance and misconceptions about the role of consultant pharmacists within the healthcare system.

He maintained that consultant pharmacists are not competitors to physicians but complementary specialists whose expertise in clinical practice, research, leadership and education strengthens multidisciplinary patient care.

“In countries where consultant pharmacy practice has been fully implemented, patients enjoy better treatment outcomes, safer medication use and improved quality of care. Nigeria should not be left behind,” he said.

The representative of the National Chairman, Clinical Pharmacists Association of Nigeria (CPAN) Dr Oke Timipre, said “When it comes to clinical pharmacies, expanding clinical pharmacies role, CPAN has played a major role and will continue to do so.