Stakeholders have said that Nigerian pharmacists must lead the charge in innovation and value creation to unlock new opportunities and make Universal Health Coverage (UHC) a reality in Nigeria.
The industry leaders, including Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, special adviser to the Lagos State Governor on health; Prof. Cyril Usifoh, President, PSN; Pharm. Wale Oladigbolu, National Chairman, ACPN, and Pharm. Abimbola Adebakin, founder and chief executive officer of Advantage Health Africa, spoke at the 2024 Continuing Education Conference of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Lagos State Chapter held in Lagos.
In his submission, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu recognises every member of the healthcare team and expects every one of them to be useful and contribute to value creation.
“The onus is on us as members of the healthcare team to make ourselves relevant and valuable in the scheme of things as far as the state healthcare project are concerned.
“We want ACPN to partner with us, likewise, other bodies who feel that healthcare is all about the medical doctors. Let us have a change of mindset and join the progressive train of Lagos”, she said.
He said pharmacists are major players in the healthcare sector of the state and they are valued.
Speaking, the President of the Pharmacist Society of Nigeria (PSN), Prof. Cyril Usifoh, noted that pharmacists are not in the country to compete with anyone, but to ensure that the average Nigerian benefit from healthcare services and also contributes their quota in the realisation of the UHC.
He said their members were ready to work with the state government in its effort towards healthcare delivery in the state.
Usifoh further noted that with over 40 percent of the nation’s community pharmacists residing in Lagos State, the association is ready to ensure that the average Nigerians get the benefit that they deserve.
He said the fact that the community pharmacists are already positioned and strengthened to function well at the primary healthcare level cannot be wished away, as they are partners in the healthcare team.
In his speech, ACPN National Chairman, Pharm. Oladigbolu lamented that Nigeria has the highest out-of-pocket spending on healthcare in the world, with citizens being responsible for more than half of their healthcare costs.
Oladigbolu said UHC in Nigeria faces the challenge of a fragmented healthcare system that is costly, broken, and disconnected, with no access to care, and haphazardly rising costs of healthcare.
He, however, opined that the solution to bridging the gaps in healthcare in Nigeria and the achievement of universal healthcare lies with the pharmacy profession.
‘’Community pharmacy services can make up for the shortage of healthcare personnel, resulting in effective healthcare coverage in the country.”
Earlier, the Chairman of ACPN Lagos, Pharm. Tolu Ajayi said the conference was designed to ensure members of the association are not left out in the scheme of things even as the world keeps developing daily.
“What we call excellence in life is simply continuous improvement, so we thought of how community pharmacists could continue to get better and become excellent at what we do.
“We stand on two legs, we are professionals on one leg, and we are also into business on the other leg, so, what we aim to do is to look at how to improve our practice, and strengthen the members for UHC”.
He disclosed that the Continuous Education Conference programme in Lagos had been held consistently over the years because of the importance that the Lagos ACPN places on knowledge and effective service delivery.
Also, the keynote speaker, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Drugstoc Limited, Dr. Chibuzo Opara, said that to achieve UHC, there is a need for expansion of community pharmacists into health management and insurance, accurate projection of community’s medication’s need, vaccination and chronic disease care.
Speaking on the theme of the conference, “Strengthening community pharmacy practice for universal health coverage”, Opara called on the community pharmacists to tap into technology, and innovation, to drive UHC, adding that if the professionals fail to do it, the quacks would do it for them.
In her lecture titled, “Innovative business models for community pharmacies in a high inflation economy”, Pharm. Abimbola Adebakin noted that innovation is the lifeblood of every successful business, adding that ‘White Space Strategy’ which is identifying gaps and highlighting potential areas of consumer spending that aren’t yet acquired is key.
“We are in the digital knowledge economy. As a business owner or professional, taking your knowledge and expertise for granted is tempting.
“Your expertise is a skill honed by years of immersion and practice. and regardless of what field you’re in, that expertise has value. And you can sell it. Such knowledge may be clinical or non-clinical.”
“To explore innovation is to dare to explore an uncharted territory. Many people are reluctant to enter any white space because of fear of the unknown. As a result, this often leads to people not wanting to take risks and instinctively retreat to their comfort zone.
“Step into the growth zone by embracing learning, exploring curiosity, and taking risks. Stay innovative,” she stressed.
