02/03/21
Writtern By Dr. Kingsley Chiedu Amibor FPC Pharm*
National Chairman AHAPN
Publisher: DANIELS G.O
Dear Colleagues,
Greetings from the National Executive Committee (NEC) of our great Association AHAPN. I sincerely wish to appreciate you all for the support extended to NEC since the inception of our administration, and 2021 in particular.
As the countdown to the end of our tenure commences in earnest, it has become imperative to update our members on the activities of our Association.
1. *Implementation of Consultancy Pharmacy Circular*
You may recall that at the last Town Hall Meeting held via Zoom on this matter, it was resolved that a decentralized approach would be pursued in the implementation efforts. Reports reaching NEC seem to suggest that some institutions are having challenges getting their various hospital managements to implement the Circular. We urge our members not to be discouraged by the antics of our detractors, but to continue to employ all legal means to circumvent the challenges, including interacting with their various boards of management and any other group that may be of assistance in achieving our desired objectives.
2. *Reintroduction of Public Private Partnership (PPP) in Pharmacy Departments of tertiary Health institutions*
Not too long ago, we received very disturbing report of the management of a tertiary institution in North Central Nigeria, concluding plans to introduce PPP in that institution, on the excuse that medicines are not continuously available in the hospital. NEC also gathered that there may be a directive from the Federal Ministry of Health to chief medical directors (CMDs) to introduce PPP in hospitals where pharmacists cannot ensure continuous medicines availability. We wish to state categorically that there is a subsisting directive from the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) to deal ruthlessly with any pharmacist that connives with any CMD to undermine Pharmacy Departments of our hospitals. AHAPN members are encouraged to report any pharmacist who is involved in trying to flout the directives of the PSN irrespective of practice setting.
On our part, sequel to the directive of the Honourable Minister of Health during our visit in October 2020, AHAPN set up a Committee charged with the mandate of drawing up a new Drug Revolving Fund Scheme that will make medicines continuously available in our hospitals without the encumbrances of the current scheme. We are aware that Committee headed by one of our best hands, Dr. Margaret Obono FPSN, has advertised for memoranda from our members on how to revive or resuscitate the DRF. We encourage you all to submit your memoranda to them in good time so they can finish their tasks early enough.
3. *AHAPN National Scientific Conference “Kwara 2021″*
As you are aware already, our national conference for 2020 did not hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was rescheduled to 2021. I wish to seize this opportunity on behalf of NEC to commend the Conference Planning Committee (CPC) ably led by Dr. Funmilayo Oluwatimilehin FPSN for the good job they are engaged in planning a befitting conference come August 2021. Paucity of funds continues to be a challenge, despite all measures put in place to facilitate ease of payment of capitation to the national body. For instance, as at today, less than 300 out of about 3,500 hospital and administrative pharmacists have paid their capitation to AHAPN National. If this trend continues, the implication is that the National body may not be able to fund our numerous activities, including this year’s national conference. It is instructive to note that last year 2020, less than 1,000 AHAPN members paid capitation to National. We hereby appeal to our members to reconsider their stand on capitation payment so that the National body will be able to fulfill our campaign promises to our members.
4. *COVID-19 Pandemic*
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to take its toll on nations of the world, including Nigeria. Our members too have not been spared, as we painfully lost several to the pandemic at the beginning of the year. May their souls rest in peace. We urge all our members to continuously observe Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) COVID-19 Protocols for control of the infection. In the same vein, we expect our members will not be left out when vaccination of healthcare workers commences as promised by the federal government.
5. *Partnership with PSN*
AHAPN National is partnering with our national body, the PSN to ensure adequate and timely representation of Pharmacists in health matters at both National Assembly Committees on Health, FMOH and other agencies of government.
6. *AHAPN Committee Assignments*
Various committees have been set up to enable us achieve our objectives. Some of these Committees are the Editorial Committee, which is charged with producing our Public Health Pharmacists Magazine, AHAPN Byelaws Review Committee, AHAPN New DRF Committee, AHAPN Fund Raising Committee, AHAPN Privileges Committee and so on. We urge our members to give the Committees all the necessary support so that together, we can achieve more.
7. *Training on Research Methodology*
In line with AGM decision of 2019, AHAPN National is organising a training workshop on Research Methodology for our members which we hope will hold this month of March. We are currently discussing with our resource persons. We encourage everyone to make the maximum use of that workshop when the time comes.
In conclusion, I wish to once again thank all AHAPN members for your support to AHAPN National to date, even as we seek your greater support as our tenure gradually comes to an end. Yes, there are challenges confronting our practice, but I am sincerely convinced that the future of Pharmacy is bright, especially with God on our side.
I wish everyone a happy new month.
Thank you. God bless you all.
Long live AHAPN!
Long live PSN!
Long live the Pharmacy Profession.
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