The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, Lagos Branch marks ACPN Day of 2024 PSN Scientific Week
LAGOS — The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Lagos Branch, is set to mark the ACPN Day of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) Scientific Week on Monday, 26th August, 2024 with high profile events targeted at Member empowerment, Advocacy with the Government and Safeguarding Health of the people.
The ACPN Day of the week-long event themed “The Imperative of the March towards Universal Health Coverage” will project the Unique Roles of Community Pharmacists in Public Health. It opens with a Press Conference at the Pharmacy Villa, Ogudu on Monday, 26th August, 2024.
This will be followed by concurrent Health Talk at seven strategic market locations across Lagos State- Ipodo Ikeja, Tejuosho, Sabo Ikorodu, Ajah Lekki, Iyana Ipaja, Iyana Iba Okokomaiko and New Market in Badagry on Preventive Healthcare, Vaccination and Health Insurance. Members of the market communities will also benefit from Free Health Screening and donation of Products samples. He encouraged the market communities to take advantage of health promotion initiatives brought to their neighbourhood.
In a recent interview on TungbaFM 100.9, Pharm. Tolulope Ajayi, the Chairman of ACPN Lagos Branch flanked by Pharm Abiodun Adediran and Pharm Jimoh Adeniyi, reiterated that Health and by extension Pharmaceutical Care is a fundamental human right of every Nigerian. He highlighted that Pharmaceutical Care aims to provide drug therapy in Patient care in a responsible manner to achieve intended treatment outcomes that improves the Patient’s quality of life. Unlike what obtains in substandard settings, collaborative care that incorporates Pharmaceutical care produces better Patient care outcomes. He opined that Pharmaceutical care is not synonymous with ‘drug issuance or collection’, it entails patient counselling, medication reviews, detection of medication errors and collaboration with other healthcare providers for necessary interventions in correcting medication errors etc.
Ajayi further noted the dire need to address the chaotic distribution and handling of medicines as articles of trade in the country. He emphasized the need to sanitize the practice space through a coordinated drug distribution system to complement other efforts of the government to address the country’s abysmal and consistently low WHO ranking among other members of the United Nations due to the very poor healthcare indices.
Other events lined up for the week-long program include Opening ceremony that will attract the crème de la crème of the Healthcare industry, Masterclasses by experts and partners in the Pharmaceutical Industry and colleagues from Nigeria Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in America and Closing banquet.