COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE 35TH ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS OF NIGERIA (ACPN) “COAL CITY 2016” HELD BETWEEN 29TH MAY TO 3RD JUNE 2016 AT NIKE LAKE RESORT, ENUGU, NIKE LAKE ROAD, ABAKPA NIKE, ENUGU STATE.

The Theme of the conference was “Manpower Development in Community Pharmacy Practice – Adopting Global Best Practices”

The conference was declared open by his Excellency Rt. Hon. Lawrence Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the Executive Governor of Enugu State. The Chairman of the occasion was Dr. (Chief) Ifeanyi Okoye, FPSN, the Managing Director of Juhel Nigeria Ltd. Other dignitaries that attended the conference include the representative of the Honorable Minister of Health, Dr. Christopher Amah, FWACS, FCS, CMD UNTH, Honorable Commissioner for Health, Enugu State Dr Samuel C. Ngwu, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria Pharm (Alh) Ahmed Yakassai, FPSN, FNAPharm, FNIM ; former Presidents of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Pharm Azubike Okwor, FPSN, FFIP, FPCPharm, Pharm. Olumide Akintayo, FPSN, FPCPharm, FNAPHARM, FNIM, the Registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, Pharm N.A.E. Mohammed, FPSN, FPCPharm, FNIM; Most Rev. Dr. Emmanuel O. Chukwuma Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Hon. Denis Ogueri Amadi member House Committee on budget and appropriation Pharm Deji Osinoiki, FPSN; Representative of the GOC 2 Division Enugu, Major Mustapha, other healthcare professionals and eminent Nigerians.

The Keynote Address was delivered by Pharm Yakubu Gobir, the Managing Director of Smart Mark Nig. Ltd, Lagos. The following Eminent Resource Persons presented papers during the Plenary Sessions as subtheme speakers, Pharm Onyeka Onyeibor, Pharm Adeshina Opanubi and Pharm (Mrs) Folasade Lawal, FPSN

Conference deliberated on the theme and subthemes of the conference and other contemporary issues in Community pharmacy practice and the general state of the nation and made the following observations and recommendations.

1)      Conference acknowledge the need for manpower development in community pharmacy practice through formal training, on the job training and professional training such as continuing education programmes.

2)      Conference stressed the need for community pharmacy practitioners to brace up and adopt global best practice in manpower development. Community Pharmacy Manager must ensure training and retaining of Pharmacist, pharmacy Technicians, Pharmacy Assistants and other supportive staff in area of Problem Solving Skills, Communication, Business Management Skills, Team Work and Time Management.

3)      Conference agreed that the professional role of Pharmacists in community setting is evolving and changing from the traditional dispensing and distributive role to best practice in patient oriented care services involving pharmaceutical care, medication therapy management, Pharmaeconomics and effective patient education to achieve good therapeutic outcomes. Conference enjoined community Pharmacists to play increasing role in Chronic Disease management, Immunization and Medication Therapy Management.

4)      Conference deliberated on Chaotic Drug Distribution System in the country and therefore called on the Federal Government to put all machinery in place toward implementation of the new National Drug Distribution Guidelines, commend government on the new National Drug Distribution Guideline and call on government to provide all the necessary support to the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria to effectively coordinate the implementation of the new National Drug Distribution Policy of government to ensure sanity in the distribution of drugs in the country and also make it easy to track drugs from manufacturers or importers to the consumers.

5)      Conference commended the management of Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) for the modest achievement made in the regulation of pharmacy practice, but however feels that there are still more work to be done in areas of closure of illegal premises and monitoring the activities of Patent Medicine Vendors (PPMV) in the Country as most of them stock prescription drugs..

Conference calls on the Federal Government to reconstitute board of the Council for effective regulation of pharmacy practice to ensure good pharmaceutical service delivery to Nigerians.

6)      Conference observed drastic increase in numbers of substandard, fake, unregistered and counterfeit pharmaceutical products in the country and urged the National Agency for Food, Drugs, Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to step up their regulatory activities in respect of monitoring and closure of open drug markets. Conference also calls on Federal government to appoint a Pharmacist as the Director General of NAFDAC in other to fulfil the enabling law establishing NAFDAC.

7)      Conference as part of ACPN renewed strategy, launched the Pharmacy Emblem as a sign for Nigerians to recognize pharmacies where genuine pharmaceutical services could be accessed and enjoin members to procure these emblems and voluntarily remove illegal ones

8)      Conference deliberated on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and commends the new drive by the present government to provide universal healthcare coverage through the NHIS and recommends that the capitation be unbundled for the pharmaceutical services component of it to stand-alone as all the tiers of care (Primary, secondary and tertiary) have pharmaceutical services component. Again the fee for service as enumerated in the original document of the NHIS be adhere to instead of global capitation

9)      Conference reviewed the level of insecurity in the country with special emphasis on the Boko Haram insurgency and the spate of bombings, kidnappings, abductions and wanton destruction of innocent lives and properties. Conference therefore commended the effort of President Mohammadu Buhari administration’s efforts in curbing this menace and call on all well meanings Nigerian to contribute their quota to bring about change in our Country

10)  Conference appreciate His Excellency the Executive Governor, the government and the good people of Enugu State for their care and hospitality. Conference commended the Initiative of the First Lady of Enugu State in the provision of free Cervical Cancer screening and immunization of women against Cervical Cancer in Enugu State and also for supporting ACPN walk against cervical cancer during the conference.

11)  At the end of the 35th Annual General Meeting (AGM) the following National Officers were elected to serve the Association for the next one year.