Pharmacists warned against sharp practices

Pharmacist Council of Nigeria (PCN) has warned its members against making quick money by involving in the manufacture and sale of fake drugs.

Speaking during the induction of 188 fresh graduates of Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), the registrar, Ejijah Mohammed, stated that PCN would stop at nothing in prosecuting any member caught in the act. He warned members to avoid unethical professional conduct or risk certificate withdrawal, just as he described pharmacy as a noble profession. “Any member found guilty of any professional misconduct risks the withdrawal of his or her practising certificate from the council.

“PCN abhors professional misconduct in its entirety. You must respect the code of conduct of the profession,” he warned.According to Mohammed, pharmacy is a profession that guarantees graduates opportunities to practise in different fields of life.He urged the inductees to take their one-year internship seriously.“I made a mistake in dispensing wrong drugs to a patient will not be accepted as excuse by PCN or law court because you must know that you are dealing with human life.

“The best way to make genuine quick money is through hardwork, being focused and having absolute faith in God,” he advised. Vice chancellor of UNN, Prof. Charles Igwe, congratulated the graduates for their hardwork and commitment that made it possible for them to be inducted into PCN. He urged them to be good ambassadors of the university by adhering to the ethics of the profession and being patriotic.

“I commend parents of the new inductees for investing in their children’s education, which is the best gift from parents to their children in this 21st century,” he added. He disclosed that the university had released funds to furnish the new pharmaceutical faculty complex, to make staff and students more comfortable.

Earlier, the dean of Pharmaceutical Science, Prof. Anthony Attamah, had applauded Igwe for his quick intervention in the problem of the faculty.“We are grateful that since you assumed office, you have been paying special attention to issues concerning Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science,” the dean said and commended the inductees for their doggedness.