A Pharmacist is trained to speak truth no matter whose Ox is gored. Many healthcare professionals feel threatened when a Pharmacist speaks because we don’t mince words in telling the truth about a particular situation as lives may inadvertently depend on it. A Pharmacist knows that one small mistake, one error, one false calculation and many lives may be lost. This is why many who do not wish to see truth come to life because of ulterior motives do their best to deny a Pharmacist his/her voice.

This week a Pharmacist Hannatu Rufai Abdullahi was amongst several hostages of Bandits in Zango Zaria in Nothern Nigeria. She had been abducted alongside her sister and several others around 1:00am.

She was sleeping peacefully in her home with her two sons, a seven year old and a six year old. The bandits broke through her burglary proof door and took her away.

According to a relative Zainab Aliyu  Hannatu “hid her children when the bandits came. She was kidnapped along side her cousin sister. We waited to hear them calling us for a ransom only for them to call that they have killed and dumped her corpse along Birnin Gwari.“

According to @realvoiceofarewa “They killed her and dumbed her corpse just like that!. Just like that!. She was at home. A mother, a wife, a daughter and a pharmacist contributing her own quota to a country that couldn’t protect her.”

According to Ahmed Salisu a Kaduna resident the Kidnappers were said to have operated for more than an hour without any form of resistance in a residential area filled with all sorts of academia and  intellectuals plus it is very close to a military barracks. The police had made an attempt to intercept them but were out numbered.

The story had it that at some point while being led deep into the bandits hideout Hannatu indicated she could not continue further as she was tired. The Bandits shot her and continued on her journey. The story was confirmed by a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Ahmed Sanni from Kaduna State.

Until her death, Hannatu was a mother of two kids and pharmacist at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria. She was a former Superintendent Pharmacist at Kumbi Pharmacy, Gombe.

Was Hannatu Pregnant?

Though it has been widely reported that Hannatu was pregnant but a Cousin of hers says she was neither pregnant nor heavy with child. In response to a Facebook post one Omar Mustei who claims to be her cousin said:

“Hannatu was not pregnant please. She is my cousin and we were together Thursday before she was kidnapped Friday. She was not pregnant not to talk of being heavy. We can pass the news without false information.”

But Ozi Mohammed who described himself as a close family friend of Hannatu’s said :

“She was heavily pregnant and told the Animals (kidnappers) that she couldn’t walk, so they shot her. She has 2 kids……Her sister in Abuja called my wife on Friday to rejoice with us over my son’s issue but unfortunately my sister (her friend) called us the following day to break the sad news. We started praying for them since that day until last night when my sister called”

While controversy surrounds our beloved Hannatu’s pregnancy status as at time of death one thing is certain: HANNATU died because she chose to speak truth to Power. Those who shot her did nothing abnormal. It is abnormal for a coward to tolerate truth when he faces it. A coward must react when he sees someone who can stand up to him, speak truth and defend the weak. Hannatu considered her health so she spoke up and said she is tired and can’t walk further. The cowards shot because they didn’t want her left behind and giving away their trail to security forces. They shot because they were afraid of the truth.

Muhajira Ismail describes Hannatu as “an amazing soul, an easy going person, with a beautiful smile…”

Maryam Jibrin describes Hannatu as “someone I have known for 16 years. Nice and gentle. When I learnt of your abduction I was praying that you will return safely eventually. That did not happen”

Amina Adamu-Mshelia described Hannatu as “lovely, peaceful and devoted“

Umar Farouk said “She’s really a nice person always smiling”

The bandits died when they shot Hannatu. You died when you shot Hannatu……..yes you, you, you, you……you’re the one who died when you shot Hannatu. You shot a mother but you died. Because you are a C.O.W.A.R.D. You will never match her standards. Woman of Nigeria, Daughter, Wife, Mother, University Graduate, fashionista, Pharmacist and Public Health Worker. You thought you could take her voice and shut her up forever but you made a mistake. You made her louder and noisier than she has ever been or will ever be.

While announcing Hannatu’s murder @realvoiceofarewa writes “Does this darkness have a name?”

But of all descripions we are most particular about how Hannatu described herself. On her Facebook wall she described herself as a
“Pharmacist, Beauty Entrepreneur! I show women how to start beauty business to improve their lifestyle.”

Shes not Hannatu, she’s not Hannatwo, we choose to call her Hannathree, Hannafour, Hannafive, Hannasix and Hannatoinfinity

The post HANNATU:THE STORY- COWARDS DIE MANY TIMES BEFORE THEIR DEATH first appeared on CPAN WORLD.

This year’s national conference also marks ACPNs 40th anniversary.
CPAN (Clinical Pharmacists Association of Nigeria) will be fully represented as it’s chairman Dr. Joseph Madu is a Community Pharmacist and many other CPAN members are also ACPN faithfull.

This year’s theme is ABUJA DECLARATION: EQUIPING PHARMACISTS FOR UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE.

One if the high points of the conference is a session on Strategic Roadmaps for implementing Community Pharmacy Commitments to Primary Healthcare delivered by Prof Lere Baale of the Business School Netherlands (BSN).

The conference has also featured a Covid-19 vaccination training where Pharmacists were trained in vaccine administration and equiped with knowledge to keep them at the forefront of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is an election year as several Pharmacists justle for elective position via votes from delegates.

Pharm Bridget Aladi Otote FPSN an astute politician and experienced pharmacist who is contesting for the position of National Vice Chairman. She describes herself as a serial entrepreneur and award winner with businesses in pharmacy, fashion and banking sector.

Pharm Adewale Aderemi is another astute politician who wants to be the next ACPN national chairman. He wants to fill critical gaps in Community Pharmacy practice.

Pharm Adewal Oladigbolu is contesting for the position. He is a Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and former PSN chairman for Rivers state that has lead transformations in practice of Pharmacy in his home state.

Pharm Gbenga Olubowale is another experienced Pharmacist gunning for the position of ACPN national Chairman.

Here wishing delegates to the ACPN conference fruitfull delebrations in moving community Pharmacy practice into the 21st century.

Enjoy the conference photo gallery below.

The post ACPN NATIONAL CONERENCE AT THE GATEWAY first appeared on CPAN WORLD.

The Nigerian physicians are really all out to champion a new course for themselves in line with the current realities in Nigeria despite the “No Work , No Pay” threat. Many of the physicians have perfecte plans to exit the country for a greener pasture. Though, the Nigerian Nurses have been the major group migrating outside the country in the highest number & rate, the recent recruitment exercise by some Saudi Organisations has coincidentally orchestrated & added value to the claims by NMA that its members are exiting the country.

Also thousands of Nigerian Pharmacists are emigrating into many foreign countries en masse & unannounced . Hence, there is a total “Brain Drain” in Nigeria. The physicians have actually been “taking the Bull by the Horn” by severally down-tooling. The Nigerian Pharmacists & the Nurses are also among the major & core health Clinicians that are grossly under paid relative to what their counterparts earn abroad. The Physicians, Pharmacists & Nurses are majorly the health care professionals who are usually regarded as “3-Digits” salary earners in US as their salaries are usually over 100,000USD per annum.

After the 1st wave of  Covid Pandemic, countries like the US & others started increasing the take home pay of the clinicians like the Physician, pharmacist & Nurses such that some Nurses now earn up to 15,000USD per month as their demands also have marginally increased. In Nigeria, the interprofessional rivalry among the health workers has become antithetical to the expected growth & welfare packages accruable to the health care professionals, especially the Physicians, Pharmacists & Nurses who are usually seen collaborating in most countries abroad. The sharp division has led to the almagamation of other health workers as a union while the physicians exist as an opposing union.

While the physicians appear to be making some waves, the Pharmacists & Nurses appear to be entrapped & entangled in a web. While most Government & Organisations abroad usually grant the nurses, pharmacists & physicians a decent “take-home” pay as the major pillar & core clinicians in the health sector based on the value & output of their contributions, these 3 core clinicians have allowed their geniun demands to be submerged by the “bogus” demands of many other health workers. Some of the health workers in Nigeria who are making “bogus” demands for appointment as specialists are regarded as technicians inother countries. Again, the take home pay of the core clinicians like the Nurses, Pharmacists, & Physicians cannot be compared with most other health workers in most countries.

There is always the difference between health workers & health care professionals as health Care Professionals are the core clinicians who have direct patient contact. The Physicians, Pharmacist & Nurses are the ones who operate as Consultants, Specialists, Prescribers, Diagnosticians, residents, etc & have seperate pay packages. The only way out of the present “mess” in the health sector is for the 3 core clinicians to unite & put pressure on the govt to improve their conditions of services, otherwise the Nigerian health sector will continue to collapse into a comatose state.

The post THE NEED FOR SYNERGISM & COLLABORATION AMONGST CORE CLINICIANS TOWARDS SALVAGING THE COMATOSE HEALTH SECTOR! first appeared on CPAN WORLD.

The use of the word “Prescription” is changing the world over and medicines or drugs are being reclassified from the simple ancient days ’classification of prescription only medicines and non-prescription medicines because of the ever-increasing needs for equitable access to medications and improved continuity of patient care.

Pharmacists play very important roles in the delivery of primary health care across the world.  In the wake of the dramatic devastation and unprecedented loss of human lives inflicted upon the world by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the lock-down period and the attendant restriction of access to public health centers orchestrated by the pandemic, community pharmacists courageously stepped in to meet the healthcare needs of Nigerians. Unfortunately during the pandemic Pharmacists faced a peculiar challenge of accessing certain prescription medicines indicated for some common conditions in primary care. This was at such a sensitive time the entire Nigerian population relied on the Community Pharmacists as the source of medicines for primary care. This underscores the need for speedy approval of the category of Pharmacist-Initiated-Medicines (PIMs) in medicines classification in Nigeria as obtainable in other climes. This is supported by the latest policy document of the International Pharmaceutical Federation/Community Pharmacists Sector FIP/CPS Vision 2020–2025. According to the NAFDAC DG at the last NAPHARM/NG virtual conference ”Pharmacists are the backbone of the Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system

Eight models for pharmacists’ prescribing have been implemented internationally varying in their dependency on protocols, formularies and collaborations with physicians, to be specific, the models include:

• NON-PROTOCOL: 1) Formulary Prescribing (2) Referral to Pharmacists (3) Independent Prescribing
• PROTOCOL: 1) Patient Group  Direction (2) Repeat Prescribing (3) Supplementary Prescribing (4) Protocol Prescribing (5) Collaborative Prescribing.

For instance, Dr. Samuel O. Adekola was certified to prescribe and administer Naxolone injectable for the management of Opioid over dosage since September2019 by the MARYLAND Department of Health USA. Indeed, practice of medicine in relation to health is changing across the globe and Nigeria needs to get ahead of it to the benefit of the ever growing population.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is the primary agency saddled with the responsibility of regulating the importation, exportation, manufacture, sales and utilization of medicines in Nigeria. One of such responsibilities is the classification of medicines used in the country.

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has enjoyed unfettered access, collaboration and supports from NAFDAC under the current leadership, with improvements in Internally Generated Revenue base and gadgetry in NAFDAC laboratories which both combine to improve service rendition in the Agency. But a previous effort to introduce the Pharmacist-Initiated-Medicines(PIMs) in Nigeria was not achieved due to non approval. For Pharmacists to effectively carry out the primary responsibility of providing primary healthcare services there is need for PIMs to be approved. This will enable Pharmacists to ethically explore their clinical judgment in recommending medicines within the PIM category to patients who need them.

Furthermore, the Federal Ministry of Health had enacted the Task Shifting Task Sharing Policy which implies that some primary care tasks should be shifted to other health care providers such as Pharmacists. So far, services such as Family planning have been successfully implemented. However, for other primary care services such as Medication Therapy Monitoring amongst others to be effectively implemented, Pharmacists must be authorized to recommend certain class of medicines. That way, the health care needs of the Nigerian populace would not be in jeopardy should there be acute lack of access to clinicians as was experienced in the heat of the Covid-19 pandemic. Pharmacists need to be properly re-positioned as Primary Healthcare Providers in Nigeria. This is to guarantee the achievement of universal health coverage. In many other countries across Europe and Americas, the capacities of community pharmacies have been maximally harnessed in the combat against Covid-19 pandemic. Pharmacists were involved in patient education, counseling, point-of-care testing, supply chain management of vaccines as well as administration of vaccines. This strategy tremendously helped in better handling the ravaging pandemic in these countries. Conversely, in Nigeria, Pharmacist were not adequately engaged in the entire response to the pandemic. This sad situation encouraged a number of vices in our Country, prominent among which are drug abuse and misuse.

To change this unenviable narrative, the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria birth a foundation known as the Transgenerational Pharmacies Development Foundation, TGPDF, having one of its strategic primary objectives of repositioning community pharmacists and working to integrate Pharmacists as primary health care providers as being promoted by World Health Organization, WHO in partnership with the International Pharmaceutical Federation FIP. The later was consummated in the ASTANA DECLARATION of 2018 that was equally conveyed in the ABUJA DECLARATION of  December 2020 signed by Community Pharmacists in Nigeria. Kindly referred to the 50-point communiqué endorsed during the 2020 ACPN National Scientific Conference. The vision of this noble initiative was contained in the 50-points communiqué endorse during the 2019 ACPN conference in Abuja. Given the need for Pharmacists to be highly clinically inclined in order to provide high quality primary healthcare services to the community they serve, the Transgenerational Pharmacies Development Foundation, deemed it necessary to build the capacities of both upcoming pharmacists as well as practicing pharmacists through the PharmD undergraduate and conversion programs respectively. The ACPN-Transgenerational Pharmacies Development Foundation under the leadership of Prof. Lere Baale are sedulously working on strategic project of achieving a primary healthcare driven community pharmacy practice in Nigeria.

It is hoped that these activities will set a momentum that will galvanize the overall interest of NAFDAC in expediting actions towards the actualization of a holistic primary care delivery in community pharmacies across Nigeria beginning with the approval/authorization of Pharmacist-Initiated-Medicines, PIM.

The post THE WORD “PRESCRIPTION” IS CHANGING THE WORLD OVER – Pharmacist Initiated Medicines (PIMs) first appeared on CPAN WORLD.