Posted on: Tue 25-02-2025

A FORMAL DEFENCE OF OUR MEMBERS AND DISSENT TO THE PASSED PHARMACEUTICAL TECHNOLOGISTS & PHARMACY TECHNICIANS REGULATORY COUNCIL BILL

Introduction

The Reformed Forum of Pharmacy Technicians in Nigeria (RFPTN) is an umbrella body of Pharmacy Technicians practising in Nigeria. The core values of this association includes fostering a united and progressive community of Pharmacy Technicians; promoting quality health support and good governance; encouraging active participation of Nigerian youths in health issues and development; advocating for welfare and well-being of Pharmacy Technicians; supporting drug use sensitization and education for a healthier society; discouraging ethnic discrimination, marginalization and victimization of all forms; and promoting patriotism, obedience to the rule of law, due process and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

As an association, we are concerned by the recent developments at the House of Representatives as regards the passage of the Pharmaceutical Technologists and Pharmacy Technicians Bill.  

We are constrained to conclude that this action is an insensitive one. This, to us, is an attempt to cause unwarranted setback to the regulation of the pharmacy profession in Nigeria. That the House of Representatives, presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu could pass a bill establishing the Pharmaceutical Technologist and Pharmacy Technician Regulatory Council without subjecting such sensitive bill to public hearing or at best referring to the previous public hearing on the same bill held during the 8th Assembly for guidance is unfortunate and leaves much to be desired. We are by this letter stating that our members (Pharmacy Technicians) are not in support of the passed bill. Our members are responsible individuals that have been registering and practicing under the regulation of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria.

Background

The Pharmacy Technician training is a global phenomenon. However, the programme formally started in Nigeria under the purview of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria in the late 70s. The PCN has been the regulatory body charged with the development of curriculum, accreditation of the programme and supervision of the final examination since inception.

In 2015, the curriculum was reviewed by a Committee of the Council to serve as a requirement for Direct Entry into Pharmacy and other degree programmes in the Universities. The Committee also introduced a National Pre-Certification Examination (NPCE) which every graduate must write and pass before registration and issuance of registration certificate and annual permit to practice as Pharmacy Technician in Nigeria. While the use of the new curriculum commenced in 2015, the National Pre-Certification Examination started in 2017.

The essence of laying out the above developments is to re-emphasize the fact that Pharmacy Technician training has been going on smoothly since inception. Indeed, graduates of the various PCN accredited Schools/Colleges of Health Technology can be found at all levels of health care in Nigeria. Some of us are engaged in pharmacy departments of hospitals ranging from primary to tertiary hospitals while others are in the Community Pharmacies, Pharmaceutical Industry, military, paramilitary self-entrepreneurial establishment and various organizations or institutions.

We want to put on record that there are about 20,000 Pharmacy Technicians on the register of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) and we are proud to renew our Annual Permits with the Council regularly.  

The Honourable Speaker may wish to note that our Association, RFPTN was at the public hearing for the consideration of this same bill during the 8th Assembly in 2018. We submitted a position paper dissociating our members from the proposed bill and made it clear that we are being regulated by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria.

A brief on the MoU between PCN & NBTE and Other Related Matters

In April 2024, our members were excited on receiving the news of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between PCN and NBTE abolishing the Pharmaceutical Technology programme in Nigeria. The MoU further specified that NBTE and PCN will have joint accreditation & re-accreditation of Pharmacy Technician programme at School/Colleges of Health Technology.  

We were even further more impressed when the National Association of Polytechnics Students issued a World Press Conference in August 2024 to publicly state that after due consultation with Federal Ministry of Education, PCN and NBTE they came to the conclusion that the MoU was in the best interest of the nation and their members in particular.  They also vow to resist any Polytechnic that intends to reintroduce the programme. It may interest the Honourable Speaker to note that the training of Pharmaceutical Technologists in Polytechnics is an aberration as such training has no practical exposure to neither hospitals nor pharmaceutical industries experience in Nigeria. This was why the MoU stated clearly that all those trained with that qualification have no place to work within the healthcare industry.  

It will interest the Honourable speaker to equally note that PCN came up with steps to further transition previous graduates into the system to enable them practice.  

It is also appropriate to inform the Speaker and the General Public that records available to us confirms that the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) (Equivalent of the National Universities Commission in Nigeria) issued a memo to the Registrar of the Pharmacy Council of Ghana dated 20th November, 2024 to also stop undergraduate training for Pharmaceutical Technology. The memo explicitly noted that the Commission recognize that the guidance of the Pharmacy Council was not sought before the accreditation and also apologized to the Council. This is indeed, a hallmark of a responsible public institution.  

The fact is that Pharmaceutical Technology is a postgraduate qualification for Pharmacist who specializes in industrial Pharmacy practice (Drug Industrial Production).

Regulation of Pharmacy Technicians in other countries:  

As members of the Reformed Forum of Pharmacy Technicians of Nigeria, we have it on sound authority that there is only one Pharmacy Regulatory Bodies in every country that regulate both Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians. It is a well-known fact that “Pharmaceutical Technologists and Pharmacy Technician Regulatory Council” does not exist in any country on planet earth.  

Conclusion & Recommendations

The greatest surprise in these scenario is that, the House of Representatives failed to take cognisant of the fact that the 9th Assembly had passed a reviewed PCN bill which was eventually signed by the President on August 16th, 2022 with respect to strengthening the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria and titled as:  Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment Act 2022) which like the repealed law adequately covers the regulation of the training and practice of Pharmacy Technicians in Nigeria. The new Act even made provisions for three (3) Pharmacy Technicians to be members of the PCN Governing Council. The three (3) representatives of Pharmacy Technicians in the Council serves in the training Sub-Committees of the Council, which is the Council’s Sub-Committee that determine the standard of training of Pharmacy Technicians.

To this end, we are humbly using this medium on behalf of the 20,000 registered Pharmacy Technicians by PCN, who are all law abiding citizens to demand that the leadership of National Assembly should direct immediate suspension of further legislative action on the Bill for the Establishment of the Pharmaceutical Technologists and Pharmacy Technicians Regulatory Council.  

Nobility dictates that, rather than attempting to dismantle an established Federal Government Agency and its enabling act, efforts should be focused on strengthening it through ongoing stakeholders’ engagement, assessments and evaluations targeted to improvement and amendments.

We wish to categorically state that we did not participate in, nor do we support the aforementioned passed bill.   Therefore, THE DOCUMENT SHOULD BE SENT TO THE ARCHIVES OF UNSUCCESSFUL BILLS!

Thank you!!!

 

Signed:

Pharm. Tech. Shagba Humphrey T.        

Pharm. Tech. (Mrs.) Charles Grace Ettah

 

The Honorable Coordinating Minister for Health & Social Welfare,

Federal Ministry of Health,

Federal Secretariat Complex,

Ahmadu Bello Way,

Abuja.        

 

The Honorable Minister of Education,

Federal Ministry of Education,

Federal Secretariat Complex,

Ahmadu Bello Way,

Abuja.

 

The President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria,

32, Faramobi Ajike Street,

Maryland,

Lagos

 

The Registrar,

Pharmacy Council of Nigeria,

Plot 6/7 Idu Industrial Layout,

Idu-Karmo,

Abuja.                                            

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