Executive Summary of the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN) NEC Courtesy Visits and Council Meeting

An Executive Summary of the National Executive Commi ttee (NEC) Courtesy visits and Council Meeting of the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN) Held at Sultan Mohammadu Maccido Institute of Quranic and General Studies Auditorium, Sokoto

L-R Pharm. Martins Oyewole (National Chairman AHAPN), Pharm. Almustapha Othman Ali, (Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Sokoto), Dr. Shehu Kakele, (Hon. Commissioner for Health, Sokoto) at the AHAPN NEC Award presentation to Pharm Ali

In his opening remarks, National Chairman of AHAPN, Pharm Oyewole Martins introduced AHAPN and members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to the Acting Medical Director. He commended the medical director for the quality healthcare services rendered by the teaching hospital to the teeming population of Sokoto and environs.  According to him, UDUTH remains a key player and provider of healthcare delivery to Sokoto and neighboring states.

He however lamented the inadequate number of pharmacists available at the institution (14 registered pharmacists and 25 pharmacy interns only) which he said fell below the World Health Organization (WHO) and Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) standards expected of a leading teaching hospital like UDUTH. He further acknowledged that there are not many alternatives for tertiary care in Sokoto axis; hence the need for adequate staffing that would make way for effective and efficient service delivery.  He also decried the absence of a purpose built Pharmacy Department in the hospital, as is the practice in other teaching hospitals, and advocated for restructuring of the pharmacy department, in line with Pharmacists Council of Nigeria requirements for a 1000 bedded hospital. He added that individualized patient care has become the order of the day in patient care all over the world, hence restructuring has become inevitable.

Speaking further, the National Chairman informed the management team of UDUTH that the National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, is one of the hospitals in the country with a very functional Drug Revolving Fund (DRF), which is a sine qua non for continuous drug availability in hospitals, and encouraged UDUTH management to borrow a leaf from Igbobi in setting up their own version of Drug Revolving Fund (DRF). He also encouraged the management to upgrade the Production Unit of the hospital so that drugs like antacids, methylated spirit, sodium hypochlorite and other similar products can be produced regularly. This will ensure continuous availability of these products, while saving costs for the hospital.

R-L   AHAPN Chairman Pharm Martins Oyewole presenting a copy of AHAPN Journal to Acting CMD UDUTH, Dr. Constance Shehu.

Pharm Oyewole seized the opportunity of the visit to invite members of the hospital management team to the forthcoming 20^th Annual National Scientific Conference of the Association billed to hold in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, later in the year. He challenged the management to sponsor pharmacists from the hospital to the National Conference where they will be updated on latest developments and new trends in Pharmacy practice that will have positive bearing and outcomes on hospital patients on the long run. He commended the management of the hospital for supporting the pharmacy department over the years.

Responding, the Acting Medical Director agreed that there are a lot of challenges facing the hospital, adding that she was at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) Maiduguri recently where she saw the Pharmacy Department out lay. She said the management of the hospital was open to constructive criticism, and encouraged the association to keep coming to Sokoto State to hold their activities. She challenged pharmacists and other healthcare providers to render more functional healthcare delivery to patients, because tomorrow, we (healthcare providers) may be at the receiving end as patients. She challenged pharmacists to put patients at the centre always, adding that you don’t fight ignorance, you eradicate it. Also speaking, the director of administration said the hospital management is currently understudying pharmacy departments of other hospitals, with a view to improving on their own service delivery. He added that the National Agency for Food, Drugs, Administration and Control, (NAFDAC) did not approve their Production Unit, but they are not relenting in getting the place approved.

The National Executive Committee was also in Zamfara State, where they were received by the management of the Federal Medical Centre, (FMC) Gusau. The Medical Director of the centre Dr. Kabiru Mohammed Anka, expressed delight at the visit, acknowledging that this was the first of such visit since the creation of the state. The National Chairman of AHAPN thanked the medical director for the warm reception, and challenged the management to employ additional pharmacists in the state, so that the populace can benefit from the dividends of pharmaceutical care, which has become the order of the day in pharmacy practice worldwide. He also informed the management of the hospital that Sokoto State will be hosting the National Conference of the Association come 2019, and urged Zamfara to team up with Kebbi and Sokoto states to ensure adequate representation at the conference. Thereafter, NEC members were conducted round the hospital by the Head of Pharmacy Department, Pharm. (Mrs.) Hauwa Battle. While in Zamfara, it was observed that the Director of Pharmaceutical Services (DPS), Pharm. Isah Mohammed Gusau is the only pharmacist at the Ministry of Health, a situation the National Chairman, Pharm. Oyewole decried as unacceptable. He challenged the DPS to give the needed leadership to Sokoto and Zamfara States.

The National Executive Committee also visited Kebbi State, and in particular, the Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi, in company of the AHAPN executive Sokoto Chapter and Chairman of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Sokoto State, Pharm. Murtala Bello, who accompanied the NEC delegation all the way from Sokoto to Kebbi State. NEC members attended a quarterly meeting of AHAPN Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi Branch, where they were hosted to a lavish reception by the members. One by one, the members highlighted their challenges to NEC, including the issue of inadequate staffing. The National Chairman took time to assuage the members, promising that NEC will look into the issues raised.

Led by the Director of Pharmaceutical Services of Kebbi State, Pharm. Ibrahim Maigandi, NEC members met with the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Kebbi State, Alhaji Umar Usman Kambaza, who welcomed the pharmacists warmly to the state. He noted that this was the first of such visits by a high ranking pharmacy delegation from outside the state. The Honourable Commissioner mentioned the role of the state government in encouraging pharmacy practice in the state, which included going as far as paying salaries to pharmacy students of the state origin in the fourth year and beyond.

Responding, the National Chairman of AHAPN, Pharm. Martins Oyewole commended the Honourable Commissioner for their efforts at promoting pharmacy practice in the state, and challenged the state to employ additional pharmacists to man the various general hospitals in the state. He informed the Honourable Commissioner that Sokoto State will be hosting AHAPN National Conference in 2019, and encouraged Kebbi and Zamfara states to team up with Sokoto State to ensure a succesful conference. The Chairman invited the Honourable Commissioner to this year’s annual conference of AHAPN billed to hold in Port Harcourt, Rivers State later in the year, and urged the Commissioner to sponsor as many pharmacists as possible to attend, for the overall benefit of the people of the state.

The National Executive Committee led by DPS Sokoto State, Pharm Mohammed Hamisu, also visited the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Sokoto State, Dr. Shehu Balarabe Kakele, who received the visitors warmly to Sokoto State. He noted also that this was the first of such visit by a high powered pharmacy delegation to Sokoto State, which he said was investor friendly. He informed the National Executive Committee members that the state government pays incentives to pharmacy students from the third year upwards, so as to ensure that they complete their studies without financial hindrance. The Commissioner also informed the pharmacists that the state government intends to upgrade the Specialist Hospital Sokoto to become an internship centre, as a way out of the perennial problem of shortage of internship placement for fresh pharmacy graduates. He further informed the NEC of the government’s decision to fast track the establishment of the Sokoto State Drug Management Agency, which he noted will go a long way to solve the drug needs of the state. He told AHAPN NEC that the Sokoto State Health Primary Development Agency received the best Logistic Management Chain Unit (LMCU) Award for 2017.  The Honourable Commissioner challenged AHAPN NEC to support the state government in checking substance abuse in the state, especially Codeine containing syrups. Speaking further, he said the state government was contemplating an outright ban of such codeine containing substances which are not emergency drugs. According to him, codeine abuse is fuelling addiction, crime, and terrorism, while use of unwholesome drugs can lead to health challenges including kidney problems.

In his response, the AHAPN National Chairman commended the state government for appointing three pharmacists as permanent secretaries in succession over a decade, the first of its kind in the country, and for paying incentives to pharmacy students as a way of ensuring continuity and completion of their studies. He promised that the association will explore ways of cooperating with the state government to reduce the incidence of codeine abuse in the state, and solicited the assistance of the state government towards the hosting of next year’s AHAPN National Conference, which Sokoto State has been billed to host. He equally invited the Honourable Commissioner to this year’s AHAPN National Conference in Port Harcourt, and urged him to sponsor enough pharmacists from the state to the conference.

NEC members were billed to visit the Executive Governor of the state, and His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, but both of them were unavoidably out of the state during the visit. After the marathon courtesy visits, NEC and Council members then retired to  Sultan Mohammadu Maccido Institute of Quranic and General Studies Auditorium, Sokoto on 3rd March for their Council meeting where issues affecting welfare of members such as payment of call duty relativity arrears, trade union matters, consultancy issues and others were aggressively discussed. The Council meeting recorded one of the highest attendance in recent times.

Pharm. (Dr.) Kingsley Chiedu Amibor, Pharm. D., MPH, FPCPharm

National Vice Chairman AHAPN

AHAPN NEC members in a group photograph with Honourable Commissioner for Health, Sokoto State, Dr. Shehu Kakele (third from left 1^st Row)