By Chioma Umeha
With the launch of Pharmacy Advisory
Board(PAB) on Tuesday in Lagos, a new landscape has been unfolded in the area
of effective pharmaceutical care delivery in the country, stakeholders in the
industry have said.
Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, President,
Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) said this while performing the
inauguration at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
Yakasai said that the board has Pharm.
(Prince) Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, a renowned pharmacist, as chairman; Pharm.
(Dr.) Philip Emafo, Vice-chairman; and Pharm. (Sir) Anthony Akhimien,
Secretary.
Other members of the board are Pharm.
(Chief) Olu Akinkugbe, Pharm. (Chief) Ayo Fassanmi, Pharm. (Prof.) Ebenezer O.
Ogunlana, Pharm. (Senator) Eme U. Ukaette, Pharm. (Alhaji) Mohammed Yaro Budah,
Pharm. (Dr.) Uzor N.O. Uwaga, Pharm. Azubike Okwor, Pharm. Olumide Akintayo,
Pharm. Ahmed I. Yakasai, and Pharm. (Barr.) Chiedu O. Mordi.
The members of the board are all past
presidents of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and any incumbent
board of fellows.
According to him, PAB is charged with the
responsibility of handling conflicts among pharmacists inclined regulatory
agency Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) National Agency for Food and
Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency (NDLEA).
Others are the National Institute for
Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) and the various sectoral bodies
in the practice Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of Manufacturers Association
of Nigeria (PMG-MAN) and Association of Pharmaceutical Importers of
Nigeria (APIN).
The rest are Nigerian Representatives of
Overseas Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (NIROPHARM), Association of Community
Pharmacist in Nigeria(ACPN) Association of Hospital and Administrative
Pharmacist in Nigeria (AHAPN) industrial and academic pharmacists.
It strikes a balance in the interest among
them.
The PSN president explained to the members
that the function of the Pharmacy Advisory Board was as spelt out in the
constitution in 63.1-4 which states inter alia: “There shall be established a
Pharmacy Advisory Board (PAB) to handle conflicts between individual
pharmacists, pharmacists-agencies, and inter-agency conflicts.
The Pharmacy Advisory Board shall be the
apex conflict resolution platform and final arbiter in organised pharmacy.
“The Pharmacy Advisory Board shall advise
the President on matters of national importance referred to it by the
president. The Pharmacy Advisory Board shall be made up of past
presidents of PSN and chairman of the Board of Fellows. Quorum for
meeting shall be 4 persons.”
Yakasai said, “I believe with your vast
experience and influence you will continue to guide the organised pharmacy in
Nigeria to the next level of achievements. In addition, the character and
characteristics of Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi who is the Chairman of this
board speak volume of the huge difference the Pharmacy Advisory Board can make
in conflict resolution, discipline and uplifting our noble profession going
forward.”
He then appealed to the Federal Government
to go all the way by constituting the Governing Council of Pharmacists Council
of Nigeria (PCN) and National Agency for Foods, Drugs and Administration and
Control (NAFDAC) to enable the two regulatory agencies perform optimally in
terms of drug distribution and discipline to meet the full complement of their
statutory mandates.
“Hence, by so doing it will also enhance the
work of Pharmacy Advisory Board,” he said, adding that the PSN was working on a
proposal for the establishment of National Rehabilitation Centre for Drug Abuse
to be presented to both the Legislative and Executive Arms of the Federal
Government.
The PSN president said that they were
leaving no stone unturned in their drive to eradicate drug abuse and misuse in
Nigeria.
He thanked them all for their outstanding
contributions to the advancement of pharmacy profession in Nigeria.
Replying, Pharm. (Prince) Julius
Adelusi-Adeluyi, the chairman of the new board, thanked the PSN president and
other past presidents of PSN for nominating them to the board and pledged that
the board would be giving the president quality advice.
Prior to the inauguration, Pharm. Yakasai
announced to members that Pharm. (Chief) T. O. Akinkugbe Tuesday turned 89
years to the glory of God.
Thereafter, Pharm. Yakasai gave members his
score card since he took over the administration of the PSN in 2015. He announced
to the jubilation of all that all his campaign promises had all been fulfilled.
Earlier, Pharm. Akintayo said that the
inauguration will strike a balance in the roles played by the pharmacists-based
regulatory agencies.
