Posted on: Tue 25-09-2018

Today is being marked worldwide as World Pharmacists Day.  25th September every year is celebrated as World Pharmacists Day globally; the day was set aside by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), a global body of more than three million pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists, at its congress in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2009.The day is celebrated to organize activities that promote and advocate the importance of pharmacists in creating awareness for safe and effective use of medicines among the populace and eliminating use of counterfeit medicines in every corner of the world. 

The theme of this year’s celebration is “Pharmacists are your medicines experts.’ This year, the focus is on the extensive expertise that pharmacists have and put to use every day to ensure better patient health. This expertise is applied through science and research (such as research on antibiotic resistance, research and development of new drugs and so on); through educating the next generation, and through transforming patient needs into services. As one of the most accessible healthcare professionals globally, we use our learning to protect health and prevent illness. In the very recent past, pharmacists in Nigeria have championed and are still championing campaigns against drug and substance abuse, including tramadol, codeine, alcohol and other substances of abuse.

The theme also provides an opportunity to showcase how pharmacy works with other parts of the healthcare system.  For every patient who walks into a pharmacy, pharmacists ensure that the right medicine is provided at the right dose and in the most suitable formulation. We work with other healthcare professionals to ensure that every individual receives optimal treatment.

Pharmacists are medication experts, responsible to patients for achieving the best medication treatment outcomes, at the same time assuring cost effectiveness and safe therapy. Some of the functions carried out by pharmacists include educating patients about their medications and counseling them on the best way to administer the medicines and on lifestyle modifications where necessary.

The pharmacist as a member of the healthcare team in the hospital setting collaborates with other healthcare providers by rendering effective drug information service to these professionals and lending his expertise to patient medication use, care and wellness. He advises other professionals on the proper dose, availability, side effects and monitoring parameters for effective medication use. In some settings, pharmacists work independently or within collaborative practice agreements to manage patients’ drug therapy.   

The pharmacist does all these because he cares for people and because he is professionally mandated to ensure patient safety and is answerable for any drug related mishaps. The pharmacist is your medicines expert, irrespective of practice setting; whether in the community, hospital, manufacturing and so on, and is legally charged to manage appropriate access to medication information and products.

Additionally, the pharmacist reviews drug interactions with other drugs, foods and disease condition, all in a bid to ensure that the final products the people are consuming are safe for use and will not complicate or compound the patient’s health condition.

It is not a surprise that the World Health Organization (WHO) has proposed an 8 - Star Pharmacist model to describe various roles of pharmacists in providing better pharmaceutical care and decision making with the possibility of achieving a better impact in the healthcare system. These roles are Care giver, Decision maker, Communicator, Manager, Lifelong learner, Teacher, Leader and Researcher.

On this occasion of 2018 World Pharmacists Day, AHAPN enjoins all Nigerians to make the pharmacist their friend and to ask questions regarding their medicines use from their pharmacists, their most accessible and trusted health care professionals worldwide.

Dr. Kingsley Chiedu Amibor Pharm D, MPH, FPCPharm

National Chairman,

AHAPN

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