Yemisi Izuora
Worried by increasing cases of drug abuse especially among youths, the Young Pharmacists Group Nigeria, YPGN, an integral group of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, is about to launch a grass root initiative called Drug Abuse Project in the north east Nigeria.
The initiative is looking at sensitizing over 100,000 youths with history of substance abuse through innovative and strategic partnerships.
Making the disclosure in Lagos during its congratulatory visit to the newly appointed Director General, DG, of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Chriastianah Adeyeye, chairman of the Young Pharmacists Group, Pharm. Ekomobong Hanson, said the visit was also meant to solicit further support from the agency as the initiative would technical and financial support from NAFDAC.
Hanson said the NAFDAC has been pivotal in the training of Young Pharmacists through compulsory internship and other works force training, but there is urgent need for the agency to expand her internship programs to accommodate more Young Pharmacists, improve the selection and appointment process in the spirit of fairness and equity, restructure the program in line with the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria, PCN, guideline that captures rotation in other areas of practice including hospital and community.
“We are confident, distinguished Director General, that your good offices will give maximum response to our humble request. The future of Pharmacy profession in Nigeria and beyond is about the young people, and the future is now, therefore strategic investment in the Young Pharmacists is future investments with huge Return On Investment, ROI”, he said.
He assured of the willingness of the group to support the new leadership of NAFDAC to safeguard the health of Nigerian.
Hanson also expressed concern of the group on appointment of non Pharmacists as DG of NAFDAC, and that the Annual Business Meeting of the group which held at the just concluded PSN Annual Conference in Abia state also raised similar concern.
He said the group has recorded major achievements in the area of implementing projects aimed at advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, UN SDGs 3, through rural and community outreaches, drug abuse and misuse campaigns , health education promotion programs using traditional and new media engagements and free pharmaceutical care services in both urban and hard to reach settings in Nigeria.