The Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi has sought the collaboration of Pharmacist in the country for more development. Governor Amaechi dropped the hint during the 31st Annual National Conference of the Association of Community Pharmacist of Nigeria. (ACPN)
The conference which started on June 18, will end on June 22, 2012, at the Atrium Events Centre, Stadium Road, Port Harcourt.
Declaring the conference open, Governor Amaechi, represented at the occasion by the commissioner of Health, River State, Dr. Sampson Parker, said the Rivers State Government is committed to the eradication of malaria in the state, while thanking the body for bringing the conference to the state.
The State Governor stated that in her bid to boost health care delivery, the state government has built 250 centers, but lamented that the state lacked pharmacists to work in the various health centres and called on pharmacists to avail themselves of the opportunity offered by the state.
He said since the pharmacy profession is very crucial, it needed to collaborative with government to overcome some of its challenges and tasked them to encourage students to be involved in science subjects so that they would be replaced at the proper time without facing extinction, The Governor speaking through the commissioner for health, stated that there are scholarships for the training of pharmacists and advised the body to filter out quacks.
He cautioned them to focus on their profession and not to meddle with other professions outside theirs, so they could concentrate to produce home grown drugs.
In an interview shortly after the opening ceremony with journalists, the National Chairman of ACPN, Dr. (Mrs.) Ejiro Foyibo, said the choice of choosing PortHarcourt was timely, since Rivers State hosted the event in 1999. The National Chairman told journalists that the objective of the conference was to seek for new innovations, learn new things and refresh their memory.
On the advice that pharmacist should stick to their profession, she said it is better as this is how it is done in developed countries. Answering question on quacks in the profession, the National President said as an interest group their aim is welfare and it is the duty of government and their agencies to regulate on drugs. Earlier in her message, Dr. (Mrs) Ejiro Foyibo said the ‘Garden City 2012’ with the theme of the conference “Achieving Health Sector Goals, the Role of Community Pharmacist” was careful selected by the team of dedicated and hard working people. She used the occasion to reject NAFDAC’s effort to capture data of community pharmacies which will amount to double registration. Speaking with journalists, the chairman, Mazi Sam Oluabunwa, said the slow space of justice system have affected every part of the society, including the pharmacists.
He said people should take medicine in a manner that is profitable, saying the protection of integrity of Medicare and outcome of consumption is key.
The keynote speaker was Fharm Bumni Olaopa, the group Managing Director, Evans medical plc. There was drugs exhibition, visitation, plenary session and later, an election to usher in a new administration.
Pius Dukor
