By Doris Obinna
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Lagos State Chapter, has petitioned the state government to expedite the implementation of the consultant pharmacist cadre, warning that inaction could exacerbate the ongoing strike by health workers in the state.
This appeal comes as health workers, represented by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), engage in a three-day warning strike in Lagos.
In a letter addressed to the Head of Service of Lagos State, PSN, Lagos State Chairman, Pharm. Babayemi Oyekunle highlighted the ‘unending delays’ in formalising the consultant pharmacist cadre through an official circular.
Oyekunle in a letter titled, “The Beat Goes On In The Health Sector In Lagos State,” emphasised that this demand is critical and was previously agreed upon during discussions with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu during his campaign.
The PSN noted that the establishment of the pharmacist consultant cadre was initially approved by the National Council on Establishment (NCE) in 2011.
The pharmacist consultant cadre was reaffirmed in 2021, underscoring the importance of timely implementation for the benefit of healthcare delivery in the state, according to PSN.
“This cadre has since been adopted in several states, including Edo, Osun, Oyo, Ondo, Niger, and Kwara, as well as by federal health institutions.
“Notably, over 250 Consultant Pharmacists have recently been appointed at the federal level, with the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, leading with over 30 appointments,” it noted.
PSN strongly reiterated its opposition to proposals aimed at renaming the consultant pharmacist cadre to ‘Specialist Cadre.’
The society characterised this move as a significant ‘deviation’ from both national and international best practices in healthcare.
PSN further highlighted that the title of ‘consultant’ is a widely recognised standard in the healthcare sectors of countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, and several West African nations, including Gambia, Liberia, and Ghana.
The society’s stance underscores the importance of maintaining established professional titles to align with global norms.
Oyekunle has raised concerns regarding previous efforts to diminish the designations of pharmacists within Lagos state.
He pointed to the earlier use of the title ‘Controller of Pharmaceutical Services’ in place of the more appropriate ‘Director.’
According to Oyekunle, this issue was only rectified following intervention from the Ministry of Establishment, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by pharmacists in maintaining their professional titles within the state’s healthcare framework.
“It is imperative to state that a specialist cadre has never been on the cards in our negotiations at federal and state levels for the reflected reasons which include: In all the negotiations dating back to 2018 when JOHESU/Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) engaged the former governor, Akinwumi Ambode administration to contemporary times when National Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP)/JOHESU negotiated with the Sanwo-Olu administration we demanded specifically for a Consultant Cadre and not a Specialist Cadre.
“We rely on International Labour Organisation (ILO) instruments, especially the Labour Relations (Public Service) Convention, 1978 (No 151) which states “the convention promotes collective bargaining for public employers (LASG) as well as other methods allowing public employees representatives (PSN/JOHESU) to participate in the determination of their conditions of employment.”
The PSN further expressed serious concerns regarding what it describes as discrimination against pharmacists in the state.
This criticism comes in light of other states and federal institutions that have successfully implemented the consultant cadre for pharmacists.
PSN called for the full implementation of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), in accordance with a newly approved federal circular regarding peculiar allowances.
Additionally, the society advocated for the implementation of enhanced call, shift, and non-clinical duty allowances, as well as the issuance of a circular to officially recognise the directorate of medical laboratory services.
The Lagos State PSN also stressed the need for the immediate domestication of the consultant pharmacist cadre and the implementation of call duty allowances for dental technologists and therapists.
Despite previous assurances from the Lagos state government to resolve the consultant pharmacists cadre issues within four weeks of an agreement made in May 2023, the PSN bemoaned that many of these concerns remain unaddressed 15 months later.
However, PSN reaffirmed its commitment to promoting good health practices in Lagos state and expressed hope that the government would respond swiftly to prevent a prolonged crisis in the health sector.