Posted on: Thu 10-12-2020

The leadership of the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN) recently paid a courtesy visit to the Honourable Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire in his office in Abuja. The AHAPN delegation was led by the National Chairman, Dr. Kingsley Chiedu Amibor FPCPharm, a past national chairman of AHAPN, Pharm. Abdulaziz Idris, AHAPN National Executive Committee member and current Chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Pharm. Jelili Kilani, and a past chairman of AHAPN FCT and current Head of Pharmacy Department, Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja, Pharm. Peter Enemarie. Others were Pharm. Peter Iliya, FPCPharm, Director, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria and Pharm. Chinelo Okonkwo, Assistant Director Pharmaceutical Services (ADPS), National Hospital Abuja. 

On the Honourable Minister’s entourage were the Honourable Minister himself, the immediate past Director Food and Drug Services at the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), Pharm. Mashood Lawal FPSN,  Pharm. (Mrs) Ajayi, also the Registrar of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, Dr. Elijah Mohammed FPSN, and some other senior officials of the Ministry. 

In his address, the National Chairman of AHAPN, Dr. Kingsley Chiedu Amibor commended the Honourable Minister of Health and his team for successfully curtailing the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria. He said the collaboration between the Ministry and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has resulted in the flattening of the curve for the disease and the saving of lives of millions of Nigerians, contrary to the predictions of leading global health bodies, including the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO had earlier predicted massive deaths of Africans in millions from the effects of the Corona pandemic, but in reality, Nigeria’s case fatality rate did not rise above 2%.

 The National Chairman then informed the Honourable Minister that about 50 pharmacists practicing in hospitals contracted the infection; unfortunately 3 of them died from the complications of the disease. 

Dr. Amibor further briefed the Honourable Minister that Pharmacists as frontline healthcare  workers were actively involved in producing millions of doses of hand sanitizers in multi dose packs for use in wards and clinics, and smaller packs for use by individuals. They also produced disinfectants such as sodium hypochlorite and detergents for use by hospital workers during the pandemic. Pharmacists were involved in producing personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as making available in hospitals, drugs used in treating COVID-19 patients, including azithromycin, hydroxychloroquine and others. 

According to Dr. Amibor, other reasons for the visit to the Honourable Minister included:  the need for removal of career stagnation for pharmacists in public hospitals and university health centers, upgrading of hospital compounding units to mini manufacturing units that can produce drugs locally in line with government policy of looking inwards and promoting local content. According to the National Chairman Dr. Amibor, if implemented,  this has the capacity to reduce dependence on imported medicines and save the country scarce foreign exchange. 

Other reasons were: provision of adequate personal protective equipment for pharmacists and other healthcare workers, improvement in existing infrastructure and remodeling of pharmacy departments in such a way as to decongest the units, ensure effective crowd control and provide physical distancing for staff. 

The pharmacists also asked for payment of outstanding salaries and allowances including balance of April and May 2018 salaries for pharmacists and other healthcare workers and call duty relativity arrears for pharmacists.

 They equally asked for revamping of the Drug Revolving Fund (DRF) scheme which is currently not being properly managed, noting that out of stock syndrome was gradually returning to our hospitals. The National Chairman then requested for government assistance to enable tertiary health institutions clear their indebtedness to drug companies which is in excess of 3 billion naira.

The National Chairman  also challenged the Honourable Minister to address the issue of lack of harmony in the healthcare sector, noting that disharmony in the sector often leads to strike actions, which in turn fuels medical tourism, with the resultant effect of depletion of our hard earned foreign exchange.

Finally, the Association called for dismantling of the open drug markets littered all over the country, which serve as ready source for fake and falsified medicines. 

In recognition of his role in the control of the Corona pandemic, the Association announced their decision to confer an Award of Excellence on the Honourable Minister of Health.

In his response, the Health Minister, Dr. Osagie Ehanire thanked the members of the Association for the visit, and condoled with them over the loss of their members to the Corona pandemic. He mentioned that a lot of the issues mentioned are administrative, which the ministry will look into. 

Commenting on the request to revamp the Drug Revolving Fund (DRF), Dr. Ehanire stated that the present arrangement whereby the DRF throws up huge debts in excess of 3 billion naira cannot be said to be ideal or cost effective. He charged pharmacists to examine the gaps in the entire supply chain and to come up with a proposal on how to make the DRF function more effectively and ensure continuous medicines availability in hospitals.

The Honorable Minister said the government was determined to close the open drug markets, adding that availability of land for building the coordinated wholesale centres was a challenge in some of the states. 

On the issue of disharmony among professional groups in the healthcare sector, the Honourable Minister agreed that was a challenge, but added that the Ministry will continue to talk to all professionals on the need to ensure a harmonious working relationship in the sector.

The Minister said COVID-19 has exposed the inadequacies in our healthcare system, adding that there is need to put infrastructures in place in our health institutions. He said that the Corona pandemic has adversely affected the nation’s economy and health is not left out.

The Minister challenged pharmacists that in presenting their grievances to government, they should identify the problems and issues involved and suggest solutions to the identified challenges. 

Thereafter, the National Chairman presented the Award to the Honourable Minister, who expressed his appreciation to the Association for the award.

Dr. Kingsley Chiedu Amibor B.Pharm, PharmD, MPH, FPCPharm

National Chairman AHAPN

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