PSN Pharmacists Task Sanwo-Olu To Improve Healthcare Manpower Needs

Pharmacists, who are operating under the auspices of the Lagos State branch of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), are urging the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to improve the manpower needs in healthcare in the State by facilitating the commencement of a degree programme at Lagos State University (LASU) through the establishment of a Faculty/College of Pharmacy.

According to the Chairman of the Lagos state PSN branch, Pharm. Oyekunle Babayemi, one of the ways of setting the right agenda in the proposed College of Pharmacy was to recruit an experienced Provost who is a Professor of Pharmacy without hesitation.

Babayemi who spoke at the Association’s 2023 Annual Luncheon, said, “We certainly have a preponderance of these highly qualified skilled technocrats in the Southwest of Nigeria including indigenes of Lagos State. The PSN (Lagos State) therefore encourages the LASG to make this a priority in the months ahead,” he said.

He however called on Governor Sanwo-Olu to without further delays and conditionalities lift suspension on the Consultant cadre for Pharmacists in the employment of LASG in 2018 by former Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode.

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In his words, “The Consultancy cadre is a reality across the globe from the UK, USA, France, and Austria to African countries including Ghana, Sierra-Leone, Egypt and South Africa. It is largely driven by a need for Pharmacists to have the right knowledge to help support our patients.

“As challenges come with complications in patient therapy where care providers have to deal with multiple disease states in one patient, pharmacists must adequately respond by acquiring these competencies to bring deliverables in the value chain of healthcare delivery. LASU must recognise and approve the Consultancy Cadre for all deserving health workers to boost competencies/capacities in peaceable dispensations and emergencies which are bound to arise.

“For the umpteenth time, therefore, we respectfully call on H E Babajide Sanwo-Olu to immediately activate the Consultancy Cadre in Public Sector Pharmacy Practice.

“It will hurt us in PSN (Lagos State) if, in the course of the days ahead, the LASG compels our Hospital Pharmacists to join other health workers to declare a long avoidable trade dispute through an imminent strike of the JOHESU/AHPA at Federal level and States which have peculiar challenges like we are currently passing through in Lagos State.”