REGISTRAR’S JUNE 2022 UPDATE FROM THE REGISTRY

REGISTRAR’S JUNE 2022 UPDATE FROM THE REGISTRY

On behalf of the management and staff of the PCN, I welcome you to the month of June, 2022. I thank all stakeholders in the Nigerian Pharma Industry for the cooperation they have given to the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) since the beginning of this year and look forward to even more support and cooperation as we are committed towards the upliftment of our dear profession and the industry.

In the month of May 2022, a follow-up accreditation visit was made to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State between May 22 – 24, 2022. As announced last month, the First Cycle of the Foreign Pharmacists Graduate Orientation Programme (FPGOP) currently ongoing at Kaduna State University, Kaduna State (North) and University of Lagos, Lagos State (South) is set to be concluded on June 5, 2022.

In furtherance of PCN’s continuous efforts to ensure that the practice environment is adequately sanitized, the National Enforcement Team of the PCN visited Bauchi and Kwara States in the month of May, 2022 for enforcement activities.

During the exercises, a total number of 1,041 pharmaceutical facilities were sealed. This comprised of 23 Pharmacies and 482 Patent Medicine Shops in Bauchi State and 39 Pharmacies and 497 Patent Medicine Shops in Kwara State. The facilities were found to be in breach of various regulatory provisions. Furthermore, 15 compliance directives were issued in Bauchi State while 8 were issued in Kwara State for minor offences.

In line with the Council’s desire to ensure maintenance of minimum standard of practice for the delivery of pharmaceutical care in the nation’s hospitals (public and private), the PCN’s Hospital Pharmacy Inspection Team visited various hospitals in Lagos, Ogun, and Ekiti States to carry out Hospital Pharmacy inspection toward registration of the pharmacy departments with the Council. The activities covered both hospital pharmacies for new registration with PCN, as well as facilities due for routine inspection.

The PCN in collaboration with PQM+, conducted a baseline assessment of Community Pharmacists (CPs) and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) in Kebbi and Benue States with focus on Quality Assurance of Medicine Supply Chain from May 16 – 20, 2022. During this period, the team carried out sensitization of the CPs and PPMVs in Bauchi State on Quality Assurance of Medicine Supply Chain from May 23 – 27, 2022.

In the month under review, the newly elected Officials of Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Abuja Chapter paid a courtesy visit to the Registry. The visit was aimed at introducing the new executive members of the Association to the Registrar, and to also appreciate him for the his enormous contribution and support to ACPN, Abuja Chapter.  The new EXCO also used the opportunity  to address a number of issues bothering on the practice in the FCT and requested for PCN’s usual intervention.

On this note, I would like to say a big thank you to every stakeholder in the Nigerian Pharmaceutical industry for the support and cooperation given to me while serving as the Registrar of the Council, these past eight years. Without your unwavering support through thick and thin, we would not have been able to record the modest successes we achieved. To the two Chairmen I served under: Pharm Bruno Nwankwo, FPSN and Prof. A. T. Mora, mni, I say working with you both was indeed a great delight. May God in His infinite mercies continue to protect, increase and bless you and your beloved families. AMEN!!!

To the management and staff of the PCN, It was indeed a pleasure working with you all. You guys are simply the best. You welcomed me so warmly on arrival 8 years ago and I have so many pleasant memories of our work relationship, our wins, our struggles and all that we went through together.  On assumption of office, I rolled out my 4 point agenda for transformation of the PCN with your cooperation.  I am proud to say that all the 4 cardinal objectives have been largely met.  This could only have been possible because of your unalloyed support. God bless you ALL!

As I bow out of service in a few days’ time, I would like to appeal to everyone to accord my successor, Pharm Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed all the support he requires to excel. Like we all know, he is suitably qualified and prepared for the role and with your support, he will to the best of his ability build constructively on the foundations laid by his predecessors in office.

We are at a very important nexus in our growth trajectory as a profession and we need all hands on deck to ensure that we get to our place of destiny. I pray that in our lifetime, Pharmacy Profession in Nigeria shall take its pride of place among others. AMEN!!!

God bless you all.

Pharm. N. A. E. Mohammed, Ph.D, FPSN, FNIM, FPCPharm, FNAPharm

Registrar