A total of 27 new Pharmacists trained by the University of Harcourt have been inducted into the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) at the 3rd Oath Taking/Induction Ceremony of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences held at the EbitimiBanigo Auditorium, penultimate Friday.

Presenting the graduands to the Council, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Joseph Ajienka, congratulated them for meeting the stringent requirements specified by Senate of the University for award of the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree which qualified them to obtain the provisional license of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria for the next 12 months.

 

“Let me hasten to add that a substantial investment in both human and material resources has been made in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and more is still required. The effort made in the acquisitions of teaching and research facilities has placed the Faculty on a very sound foundation,” the Vice-Chancellor said, charging the new inductees to be worthy ambassadors of the University by striving towards the ideals of diligence and excellence in service delivery to humanity, as well as ensure that the best industry practices are maintained at all times.

 

In his Keynote Address titled: Pharmaceutical Care: A Paradigm Shift, Professor AzukaOpara of the University of Benin, who pointed out that drug-related problems posed serious challenge all over the world, disclosed that the problems were, however, preventable with the right attitude from practitioners through quality pharmacy education, competency-based training and proper care-giving services to patients.

Speaking before formally inducting the graduands as members of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, new Registrar of the Council, Mr. Elijah Mohammed, who also congratulated them for completing the first phase of  their pharmacy training, added that: “The training of Pharmacists statutorily required that upon graduation, after their formal entry point education, they should undergo a mandatory one-calendar year Internship training programme under the supervision of a recognized and registered Pharmacist (a Preceptor) in an accredited Internship training facility. This is the second phase of pharmacy training.”

 

 

The Registrar advised the new Pharmacists to get themselves properly acquainted with the code of ethics which prescribed professional and moral responsibilities to the patients and other care-givers in the health sector, stating that “strict compliance to the code of ethics is indispensible for practice of the pharmacy profession.”

 

He used the opportunity to disclose his four-point agenda of repositioning the National Secretariat for effective service delivery, institutionalizing good pharmacy practice, transforming career professionals into intellectual practitioners and introducing new partnerships through patient right initiative, IT-driven pharmacy regulation, use of pharmacy emblem, research and development and periodic interactive sessions.

Earlier in his welcome address, Dean of the Faculty, Professor OlekaUdeala, stated that the induction was a confirmation that the students had satisfied the stringent provisions stipulated by PCN for the training of skilled Pharmacists, advising the new Inductees to continue to subject themselves to the regulations of PCN during and after their mandatory Internship training in approved outlets.

 

The Dean praised the Ajienka-led administration for its unflinching support aimed at placing the Faculty on a solid footing, commending Lecturers in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences for working assiduously towards the training of more Pharmacists aimed at enriching the health sector. Professor Udeala, who used the opportunity of the ceremony to present UniPort-made Sanitizer to the Vice-Chancellor, disclosed that he worked in conjunction with Dr. Sinyeofori Brown to produce the product.

The motivation to produce the product, according to him came from a challenge from the Vice-Chancellor, following outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the country. The Sanitizer was the contribution of the Faculty to the University Community aimed at preventing outbreak of the dreaded virus in the University, Professor Udeala disclosed, promising that the Faculty would take on new challenges as proof of its readiness to contribute to the health needs of the University and Nigerians.

 

Highpoints of the ceremony were presentation of operational licenses to the new Pharmacists and Best Graduating Student, Emmanuel Nwoke, who also presented the Valedictory Speech on behalf of his Class, also known as the Great Invictus.

The Valedictorian paid glowing tributes to their parents and University for the quality training he and his colleagues received in the UniPort. He also recalled the unfortunate passage of Miss Angela Ajabor, a colleague who passed to eternity in their fourth year in the programme.

The new Registrar, who had earlier led a delegation of visiting officials of PCN and Keynote Speaker on a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor and Principal Officers at the Vice-Chancellor's Committee Room, reminded the University of the need to secure full accreditation for the Faculty in place of its current Interim Accreditation status.