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By Doris Obinna
Erstwhile president of the Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in the Americas (NAPPSA), Dr. Anthony Ikeme, has urged clinical pharmacists to show leadership in the healthcare sector by developing relevant and game-changing value propositions that will help transform the country’s healthcare system.
He gave the charge at the first annual scientific conference of the Clinical Pharmacists Association of Nigeria (CPAN) held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
He said: “It is not just your hierarchical position; it is your value proposition. What value do you bring to the table? Can you measure or quantify your value to the team, and the patients? Is your indispensability in the healthcare team clear and demonstrable?
“Clinical pharmacists are not only the healthcare team’s medication experts but also the champions for patients’ education and overall wellbeing.”
He urged pharmacists to “take ownership of your turf and be adept at accessing, mobilizing, and applying knowledge to optimize medication therapy and promote health, wellness, and disease prevention.”
He listed areas pharmacists could provide value and leadership to include knowledge, quality and system improvement, process, and research and innovation: “This can be achieved if CPAN provides professional improvement support through access to cutting-edge journals, best practice training and dissemination of learning from its conferences, strategic partnerships with diaspora counterparts such as NAPPSA, collaborations with other like-minded professionals, and push for the addition of leadership in pharmacy degree curriculum.”
