COMMUNIQUE OF THE 32ND ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS OF NIGERIA (ACPN)

Posted on: Wed 14-08-2013

ASSOCIATION OF COUNITY PHARMACISTS OF NIGERIA

(A technical group of'tbe Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria)

NATIONAL SECRETARIAT

52A, Ikorodu Road, Fedeyi, P, O. Box 9335, .Somolu,

Lagos, Nigeria Tel ,: 08187335846. 01-8191018

E-mail:[email protected]. Website: www.acpnigeria.org

COMMUNIQUE OF THE 32ND ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE ASSOCIATION OF

COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS OF NIGERIA (ACPN) "LAND OF PARADISE 2013" HELD FROM 3RD TO 7TH

JUNE, 2013 AT THE STATE CULTURAL CENTRE, CALABAR, CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA.

The theme of the Conference was

"SAFE MEDICINES FOR NIGERIANS: COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS' PERSPECTIVE"

The Conference was declared open by His Excellency, Senator Liyellmoke, who was ably represented by the Director of Pharmaceutical Services in Cross River State Pharm. Elder Ita Edem The Chairman of the Occasion was Pharm. (Dr.) Mrs, Dere Awosika, FPSN, OON, former Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Power.

The Keynote Address WiiS delivered by Pharm. (Alh) Ahmed Yakasai, FPSN, FILRM, former Commissioner of Commerce, Industry, Cooperative & Tourism and Commissioner for Land & Physical Planning, Kano State, .

Other dignitaries who attended the conference include: President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria Pharm. Olumide Akintayo, FPSN, FPCPharmFNIM; Pharm. (Mrs) Gloria.O. Abumere, FPSN Ag Registrar of Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN); Phsrm. Azubike Okwor FPSN, FPCPharm FFIP, Immediate Past President of PSN, Chairman National Association

of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists, Pharrn, Yakubu Maji-Isah; Chairman Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria, Pharrn. (Dr) Lolu Ojo, FPSN; Pharm, Deji Osinoiki, FPSN; former ACPN National Chairman; and other eminent healthcare professionals,

Conference deliberated on the theme and sub-themes of the Conference and other contemporary issues in Community Pharmacy practice and the general state of the country and made the following observations and recommendations:

1, Conference recognized that ensuring that medicines are used safely remains fundamental to Pharmacists' role based on their knowledge of relevant patient and medication factors, Cardinai to this role is guaranteeing the safe and efficacious use of medicines throughout the health system due to the specialized nature of medicines, Some medicines

can be addictive, while many others are mutagenic or teratogenic, yet others could kill when used inappropriately and in the wrong combinations, Medicines may also aggravate already existing conditions worsen, or mask the symptoms of an underlying disease until it becomes too late to do anything, Conference also posited that1l1edicines can also interact with so many substances: other mediclnes, foods and their additives, nutritional supplements, herbs and drinks,

2, Conference reaffirmed that there is an urgent need to work towards the realization of access to safe rnedcines as a fundamental element of the right to health, by sanitizing the drug distribution system through dismanlling of the illegal drug outlets and open drug markets in Nigeria, which violates PCN regulations 79 & 81 of 2005, and section 2(1) of Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and unwholesome processed foods (Miscellaneous provisions) No 25 of LFN 1990,

3, Conference commended the Federal Government of Nigeria for launching the National Drug Distribution Guidelines adopted by the Presidential Committee on Pharmaceutical Sector Reform (PCPSRj constituted since 2003, Conference requested all the states of the Federation and the private sector to effectively establish the operational structures spell

out in the guidelines including the State Drug Distribution Centre (SDDC) and the Mega Drug Distribution Centre (MDDC), without delay to meet the June 2014 deadline for its implementation and to improve the intergrity of the pharmaceutical supply chain,

4, Conference asserted that there is strong evidence to suggest that Pharmacists in the community setting like their counterparts in the hospital, reduce the cost of medicines use, improve health, reduce morbidity and mortality, reduce avoidable hospital admissions, reduce medication errors, improve rational use and prescribing of medicines and increase access to health care and medicines, particularly for underserved, remote and rural populations,

5, Conference put on record that for many communities, the pharmacy is the most accessible or sole provider of health care services, Pharmacists have been shown to be willing, competent and cost effective providers of public health and pharmaceutical care interventions, Conference therefore decried the underutilization of Pharmacists for public health roles like Roll Back Malaria, HIV!AIDS, Immunization etc. Conference lauded the recent collaborations to redress this lapse between the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and the National Primary Heaithcare Development Agency and urged for speedy conclusion of the process of strategising

6, Conference decried the high rate of infant, child and maternal death in the country, and solicited the inclusion of Pharmacists in the strategies and interventions to stem this ugly trend, Conference recognized1hat almost 90· of aI/ deaths among children under five years of age are attributable to six conditions:

(i) Acute neonatal conditions, mainly premature birth, birth asphyxia and infections accounting for 37%,

Ii) lower respiratory infections mostly pneumonia (19%)(iii)Diarrhoea (18%), (iv}Malaria (8%),(v)Measles (4%) and sometimes (vi)HIViAIDS 3%, Conference noted that most of these deaths are avoidable through existing interventions that are simple, affordable and effective and within the domain of the Community Pharmacists: they include oral rehydration therapy (ORT), antibiotics,

antimalarial medicines and bed nets treated with insecticides, Vitamin A and other micronutrients, promotion of breastfeeding, immunization and skilled care during pregnancy and childbirth,

7, Conference welcomed with delight the plan by Pharmacists Council of Nigeria to train some Community Pharmacists towards training other Community Pharmacists (in a Train-the-Trainer arrangement) on the current management of childhood diseases including malaria, diarrhoea and pneumonia in PCN-PSN·ACPN collaborative strategies for the benefit of the patients. Conference therefore supports the plan to increase the capacity of Community Pharmacists in a training programme which may involve the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists certification

8, Conference called on the National Assembly to reject the proposed National Health Bill as it has become obvious thai section 1 (1) of the bill as currently packaged is an attempt by medical stakeholders to undermine the professional autonomy of other health professions as witnessed recenlly in Ghana, where parliament repealed laws which backed the autonomy of all the health professions after passing a Health Act. Conference declared that contrary to the impression created by the Chairman Senate Committee on Health who is a medical doctor that "As of today, the health industry in Nigeria is left largely unregUlated, without norms and standard, lacking protection of health users and providers, The Health

Bill is expected to close the gap, providing legal framework needed in the regulation, development and management National Health system setting standard and norms in health practice and research" the truth is that there are existing framework for regulabng and controlling pharmacists through the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN)Act, doctors through

MDCN Act, nurses through NMCN Act and Medical ~aboratory Scientists through AMLSN Act

Conference also lamented the discriminatory clause!; which amount to legislating against privileges a citizen of Nigeriacan enjoy when positions are reserved for one profession to the detriment of others,

Conference highlighted the submission of Comrade Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshimole who boldly declared to doctors at their maiden "Doctors Summit" in Asaba that there was no need for a National Health Bill as some of the imperatives of the bill promotes a UnitarllCommand structure instead of the tenets of true federalism,

9, Conference suggested that the national debate or reform of the ailing Nigeria Healthcare System should continue to focus on the roles of the private and public sectors in the healthcare. Conference therefore advised the National Assembly and policy makers to insist on the basic principles of other civilized nation'S health care system, which include: accessibility, quality, equality, affordability, professional autonomy, choice of providers for patients on the NHIS and Opporubityt for medicine manufacturers and insurance companies to make profit

10. Conference frowned at the proliferation of fake practitioners ranging from patent medicine vendors, open drug markeds medicine dealers, medieme hawkers and itinerant medicine sellers, including the herbal medicine sellers with their offending adverts on print and electronic media in the country. Conference requested the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) to brace up to its statutory duties of regulating pharmacy practice in all its ramifications in Nigeria to save the people from the dangers these illegal operators pose, because they are the custodians and peddlers of fake medicines in the country

11. Conference charged the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) to strengthen the leadership of the Pharmaceutical Inspection Committees, PICs in the various states of the Federation by making the State PSN Chairmen, co-Charm of the PICs with the OPSs, while the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) Zonal State Representatives should sen

as the PIC Secretaries. and the PICs activities should be domiciled in the PCN State Offices for effiCiency, fairness all robust enforcement of the relevant laws, regulation and standards. In the very strong view of Pharmacists under the aegis of the ACPN.

12. The high point of the conference was the unveiling and the launching of the ACPN Logo, Vision and Mission state men by the Chairman of the Opening Ceremony, Pharm (Dr.) Mrs. Dere Awosika,FPSN assisted by the President of PS~ and ACPN National Chairman.

13.

At the end of the Annual General Meeting held at the 32nd Annual National Conference "Land of Paradise 2013',

Calabar. the following National Officers were elected to serve the Association for the next one year

Pharm, (Alh) Olufemi Ismail Adebayo, FPSN National Chairman

Pharm, Alkali Albert Kelong, FPCPharm National Vice Chairman

Pharm. (Engr.) Olatunji Koolchap AAA, FEI,MNIM National Secretary

Pharm. (Pst) Iyiola Gbolagade, MAW National Assistant Secretary

Pharm, (Mrs.) Christy Ediomo-Abasi National Treasurer

Pharm. Madehin Gafar 'Lanre National Financial Secretary

Pharm. Nwankwo Chinedu Fidel National Publicity Secretary

Pharm. (Dr) Mrs. Ejiro O. Foyibo, FPCPharm Immediate Past National Chairman

Pharm. (Alh) OIuremi Ismail Adebayo, FSPN

National Chairman

Pharm. Olatunji Koolchap AM, FEI MNI

National Secretary

ABUJA: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED PORTHARCOURT: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED LAGOS: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED

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