In my years of practice as a Pharmacist, I did not figure that this glorious moment would assume this magnitude that we are all witnessing this evening.

 

Let me confess that I am both humbled and honoured by your presence. I must acknowledge my family for the encouragement I have always received in the realm of pharmaceutical activism.

 

I have always believed that “the future belongs to those who labour for it”. It is pertinent I always declare a need to exude confidence while showcasing integrity, humility and dedication to duty in professional life.

 

I thank my pharmacist colleagues for the immensity of their liberality which threw me up in the many capacities that culminated in my being elected President of our noble Society. I see this mandate as a call to duty, to serve pharmacists and in so doing, prepare pharmacists for the professional duty to serve our patients and patrons. As experts in medicines, pharmacists have always been known as an accessible and trusted source of advice and treatment. Our role in the health care delivery is indispensable.

 

 

Like President John F. Kennedy rightly asserted, “The Pharmacist is an indispensable link in the chain of national health protection and promotion. If we did not have the pharmacist, it would be necessary to invent him”. Today, our contribution to healthcare is developing in new ways to support patients in their use of medicines and as part of the clinical decision making across the range of ailments. This is the major reason why the PSN continues to champion the dire need for a consultancy cadre in public service pharmacy practice.psn2

 

psn5Professions exist to serve Society, therefore our mission as pharmacists must address the needs of Society, our duty is to work and ensure that the added value we bring to healthcare and our potentials are taken into account and respected by policy makers and other health professionals. We note here that there is a lot of competition, confrontation and distrust in the health sector. This situation must give way for collaboration, consultation, cooperation in the interest of the health consuming public.

 

We must open our hearts and minds to allow the team concept to rule our worlds in healthcare delivery. There is no doubt that the cost of fighting against disease and preserving health will continue to increase in spite of constant control and intervention. There are manifold reasons and benefits for wishing to create a genuine cooperation between pharmacists and other healthcare providers. Pharmacists will therefore provide leadership to ensure unity among all the stakeholders in healthcare delivery.

 

One very clear vision is that I am here to raise the bar of Pharmacy practice in Nigeria and bridge inter professional gaps. Colleagues, I assure you pharmacy will take its pride of place in the history of a great nation that will ultimately evolve particularly because of the change mantra of the incumbent administration. In community pharmacy practice, we shall encourage practitioners to begin to exploit opportunities in maternal and child mortality, which continues to ravage our population, while we stabilise hospital practice by ensuring hospital pharmacists can reach the zenith as stipulated in the scheme of service for pharmacists. Specialist pharmacists will be given their due as

 

we plan in the months ahead Our local pharmaceutical industry will be vigorously supported to come up with good manufacturing practice (GMP) compliant factories as prescribedby the World Health Organisation. We shall also encourage patronage of the local industry, as more WHO compliant pharmaceutical companies emerge. Academic pharmacists will be strengthened to be result oriented by inculcating a practice philosophy that compels teachers to teach what they  actively embrace on the field. The evolving satellite pharmacy concept will particularly ensure this.

 

psn1It is common knowledge that ‘knowledge is power’. I plan to expand the knowledge base of pharmacists psn4in Nigeria through some core programmes one of which is the provision of a standard National Medicines Information Centre of international repute in collaboration with UK MedicinesInformation Centre. May I at this point congratulate our newly inaugurated Fellows and all Fellows. Your contributions for years and decades towards the progress of our profession have made pharmacy a force to reckon with in the nation. To our women, who are men of honour, we will celebrate you and indeed to our young colleagues who have big dreams to make a difference in our profession and beyond, we will support you.

 

 

Permit me to say thank you to our special dignitaries including the Special Guests of Honour, Senate President, Senator Dr Bukola Saraki, Speaker, House Reps, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara (Represented by Hon. Muhammad Umar Jega); the Chief Host, Prof. Isaac Folorunsho Adewole, FAS - Honourable Minister of Health; Guests of Honour, Hon. Minister of Works, Housing and Power- Hon. Babatunde Fashola, His Excellency, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje - Executive Governor of Kano State; His Excellency, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello - Executive Governor of Niger State, His Highness, FCT Minister, Hon. Alhaji Muhammad M.Bello, Chairman of this occasion, Pharm. (Prince) Julius Adelusi- Adeluyi, OFR, mni, FPSN, FPCPharm, FNAPharm, FNIM, H.E. Ibrahim Shekarau (Sardaunan Kano), Former Governor of Kano State, H.E. High Commissioner of Pakistan, Lt.Gen. Agha Umer Farooq, His Highness, The Emir of Kano represented by Alhaji Ahmed Matawalle, Talban Kano, Former Justice of Federation, Justice Uwais, Eze C.C. Mkpado, Oba Olatunde Falabi FPSN, Akire of Ikire, President, NMA, Dr Kayode Obembe and Representative of Association of Professional bodies of Nigeria- Dr Omede Idris.

 

In similar spirit I thank the other Presidents and representatives of the various health associations and unions in attendance at this auspicious occasion. I believe the task ahead is stupendous, but together we can build a formidable Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria that we can be very proud of. I ask you to join me in the efforts of making PSN great, the way it has been done for 89 years. I salute our past Presidents. I thank you all and God bless Nigeria

 

PHARM. AHMED I. YAKASAI, FPSN, FNAPharm, FNIM

 

PRESIDENT, PSN