SPEECH OF THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF HEALTH, DR. E. OSAGIE EHANIRE, MD, FWACS AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE PHARMACISTS COUNCIL OF NIGERIA
Protocol:
It is with great pleasure and honour that I welcome you all to the inauguration of the Governing Council of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN). As you are all aware, the PCN is a parastatal of government established by Act Cap P 17 LFN 2004. The Council is statutorily responsible for regulating and controlling pharmacy education, training and practice in all aspects and ramifications.
The Federal Ministry of Health is charged with the responsibility of supervising the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN). The Governing Council of PCN is to provide guidance and direction for the efficient discharge of the functions of the Council as stipulated in its enabling Act. The Governing Council is also to ensure that it aligns its functions with the vision of President Muhammad Buhari, GCFR, for the country on health as spelt out in the 2nd edition of the National Strategic Health Development Plan (2018 – 2020).
The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria is vital to the health care system as reflected in its function in the regulation of the training of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and the practice of the pharmacy profession. Key issues that should engage the attention of this Council include: standard of training, code and ethics of practice, proliferation of illegal premises, unsatisfactory distribution of medicines, and drug abuse.
The Council should also refocus the various aspects of the profession to meet up with the realities of today; the Covid-19 Pandemic has brought to fore the vulnerability of the nation as concern medicines security. The inability of the nation to meet its need of simple things such as face masks, surgical gloves, plaster, cotton bandage, and other related items must be addressed.
It is therefore paramount that the profession of pharmacy in Nigeria immediately start to think of new ways of doing things; a situation where the focus is on importation of finished products and compounding of raw materials is clearly not acceptable. Strategies must be developed to utilise local resources for the production of pharmaceutical raw materials, (both excipients and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients). Our maize, yam, cassava, fruits and many others that go into waste due to poor storage need to be put into meaningful use for the pharmaceutical industry; the nation vast petroleum resources need to be also exploited.
Players in the profession and the pharmaceutical industry need to think of bigger things, they must dream dreams and build real pharmaceutical entities that will meet the expectation of the nation. Entrepreneurs need to pool resources in order to be strong and big enough to be able to dabble into the very competitive global market; experience from the Europe and America clearly show that this is the way forward. The PCN Council should make efforts to bring all players in the industry together.
My Ministry is not left out, in this regards, efforts has commenced to reposition the nation’s pharmaceutical industry; the development of a national pharmaceutical plan is on in collaboration with all major stakeholders.
The FMOH recognizes the fact the Governing Council of PCN should have been inaugurated long time ago along with other parastatals under the Ministry but this was not done due to reasons known to all of us. Leadership is about influencing activities of an organization towards achieving the goal of an organization. This cannot be achieved in an environment of disharmony, discord and mistrust. To this end, I wish to charge the Governing Council being inaugurated today, under the Chairmanship of Prof. (Pharm). Ahmed .T. Mora, to work together harmoniously in the interest of Pharmacy Profession and Nigeria.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure, on behalf of his Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR; to inaugurate the Governing Board of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN).
Thank you.
