To mark this year‘s World Pharmacists Day, which is usually celebrated every 25 September, the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Oriade Zone, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State, took awareness campaign to areas under its zones, including Satellite Town, Iyana-Oba, Volks, Mile 2 and others to educate citizens on the roles of pharmacists in the country.
Speaking at the event organised to commemorate the “World Pharmacists Day 2019”, held at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, Lagos, the Coordinator, ACPN, Oriade Zone, Pharm. Amos Megbuwes explained that the World Pharmacists Day is celebrated to commemorate and honour the contribution of pharmacists to the world, saying community pharmacists were at the community to show the public that pharmacists are at their service always.
According to him, the theme of the global event, “Safe and Effective Medicine for All”, which was chosen to reflect the beneficial aspect of medicine when they are rationally administered by drug experts, as well as numerous contributions of pharmacists to the healthcare sector. He however assured the populace of their selfless services including medicine information, patient counselling, drug information and medication review, counselling as well as enlightenment.
Also speaking, Pharm. (Mrs) Oby Ikwu, a former zonal coordinator, ACPN, Oriade Zone and current Financial Secretary, ACPN, Lagos State, stated that safe and effective medicines is indispensable for all because without safe and effective drug, healthcare is not complete.
“In our day to day practice, we have realized that a lot of people are ignorant of how medicine works and as a result, series of abuse is ongoing in the country, to the extent that people now use drug for different purposes, other than the purpose the drug is meant to serve. Antibiotic abuse is on the increase, as well as abuse of so many other drugs. Thus, as pharmacists, we have set today being a very special day; globally aside to attend to people free of charge and meet their needs in the aspect of drug need and pharmaceutical care.”
Pharm. (Mrs) Nennaya Charity Nwachukwu, chairman, World Pharmacists Day Planning Committee, emphasised that the reason for choosing the Trade Fair market, which she said is arguably the biggest and largest in Africa was to reach larger number of people, saying that pharmacists want every patient to get the best out of their medications.
While thanking the pharmacists for bringing the laudable campaign to their domain, one of the important personalities in the market, Mrs Rashidat Ajisefini, disclosed that many of them do not know the difference between a qualified pharmacist and a mere drug seller, adding that the programme afforded them opportunity to know where to get quality medicine.
The programme also offered free counseling and screening “on Hepatitis, blood sugar, blood pressure, BMI, and hypertension to the people of Satellite Town , Iyana-Oba community and its environs.
, Oriade Zone, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State, took awareness campaign to areas under its zones, including Satellite Town,){kind=link}