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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The Registrar of Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharmacist Ibrahim B. Ahmed has admonished fresh pharmacists not to indulge in professional misconduct as that would attract heavy sanction.
Ahmed gave the charge while speaking during the induction/oath taking ceremony of the first set of PharmD graduates of Gregory University, Uturu (GUU), Abia State.
Ahmed informed the newly inducted pharmacists that the PCN Act provided for the establishment of an Investigative Panel as well as Disciplinary Tribunal as mechanisms for handling issues of professional misconduct.
“Keep off from the register-and-go syndrome which has great potential to tarnish the image of pharmacists and bring the profession to ridicule.
“I urge you to maintain high ethical standards and leadership qualities as prescribed by the PCN as well as endeavour to be worthy professionals for the achievement of excellence in the provision of quality pharmaceutical services for sustainable health care delivery in Nigeria.
“As pharmacists, you are expected to get yourselves acquainted with the code of professional ethics which prescribes your professional and moral responsibilities to the patients, pharmacist colleagues, other healthcare professionals, your employers and the general public,” Ahmed admonished the graduates.
He revealed that the PCN is placing much emphasis on the implementation of the Continuing Professional Development programme, which he said is consistent with resolutions of the World Health Organization (WHO), and the directives of the Federal Ministry of Health issued at the maiden Health Summit in 1996.
Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof (Mrs) Cele Njoku, charged the graduands to be serious with their work, knowing the importance of their profession.
“I charge you to look beyond the prescriptions and the pills. You are not just dispensers of medicines, but custodians of trust, caregivers, guardians of public health, leaders and critical players in the therapeutic outcome of every patient you serve.”
She urged the graduands to ensure that their conduct, competence and character bring honour to the university, saying that they should “make the world see that a GUU pharmacist is synonymous with excellence.”
She commended the PCN Registrar for finding out time to personally attend the maiden induction ceremony of GUU’s College of Pharmacy.
The keynote speaker, Dr. (Mrs) Maureen Nwafor, said there is a lot of gap in the healthcare delivery industry in Nigeria which clinical pharmacists feel.
She said healthcare is changing with the trend of things in the world and advised the graduands to be digital and not analogue pharmacists if they must cope with the present demands of the profession.
The Chancellor of the university, Gregory Okechukwu Ibe, said the university will always crave for the best for students.
He announced a reward of N1m for the overall best graduating student and N100,000 each for all the graduates that made 1st class.
The overall best graduating student, Ikanke-Abasi Akpaso, expressed joy that despite all challenges, they were able to come out in flying colours.
The PCN Registrar formally inducted the 31 graduands as members of the Council.
