Renowned pharmaceutical scholar and Immediate Past Vice-Chancellor of Chrisland University, Prof. (Mrs.) Chinedum Peace Babalola, has issued a compelling call for a radical shift in Nigeria’s pharmacy practice, urging pharmacists to embrace innovation, clinical depth, digital intelligence and a renewed professional identity capable of meeting the rising demands of modern healthcare.
Delivering the keynote address at the 98th Annual Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), during the Opening Ceremony held on Tuesday, October 4, 2025 at Bayero University, Kano. Prof. Babalola emphasized that pharmacy must now move beyond its traditional boundaries to secure its relevance in a rapidly transforming global health landscape.
She opened her address with a powerful assertion on professional identity: “I am a Pharmacist is more than a title — it defines what we do and who we are. Without medicines, healthcare is incomplete, and without pharmacists, medicines lose their meaning. Pharmacy is the heartbeat of the healthcare system."
Speaking on the theme of the conference, “Pharmacy Forward: Building a Future-Ready Workforce for Performance, Collaboration, and Transformation,” she noted that the concept challenges the profession to think boldly and act decisively.
“The world is changing faster than our structures. Pharmacy must not follow – it must lead,” she said.
She stressed that the future of health care rests on systems anchored on humanity, quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson: “The first wealth is health.” According to her, pharmacists remain custodians of hope, healing and public health impact.
Prof. Babalola warned that technological disruptions are reshaping medicine at record speed:
• AI detecting drug interactions automatically
• 3D printing producing personalised drug doses
• Telepharmacy reaching rural and underserved patients
"Patients are becoming more informed and sometimes misinformed by online content," she said.
She cautioned that: “Remaining static risks obsolescence. The question is no longer ‘Will pharmacy change?’ because it already is. The real question is: Will pharmacists lead that change or be left behind by it?’”
She argued that pharmacy must evolve from product-based to outcome-based practice, with pharmacists transitioning:
• From dispensing to decision-making
• From counting tablets to counting impact
• From isolation to interprofessional collaboration
“Pharmacy is not just about products; it is about people, performance and public health impact.” She identified workforce challenges, including brain drain and imbalance, as a threat to sustainability.
Prof. Babalola described the modern pharmacist as a triad of three critical identities:
1. The Clinician– expert in medicine use and chronic disease care
2. The Innovator– skilled in digital health, data and technology
3. The System Reformer– shaping policy, access and fair remuneration
“We must stop asking for recognition and begin to command it through performance.”She highlighted urgent educational reforms, advocating a shift toward:
• Stronger emphasis on clinical reasoning and evidence-based medicine
• Advanced competence in priority disease areas: diabetes, hypertension, asthma, HIV
• Protecting the pharmacist’s core territory — rational drug use
• New competencies including digital literacy, health economics, business acumen
Prof. Babalola emphasised the need to move from passive to active learning, and to master interprofessional collaboration by understanding the “language” of doctors, nurses and policymakers.
She underscored the need to formally integrate community pharmacies into the Primary Health Care (PHC) framework, expanding them into hubs for: Chronic disease management, Screening and diagnostics and Immunization services
Presenting real-world data, she revealed that "Sixty-three percent of community pharmacists in Lagos already utilise telepharmacy to some extent.” She said telepharmacy brings counselling, adherence monitoring and remote dispensing to underserved patients, calling for national investment in broadband and digital infrastructure.
Prof. Babalola argued that pharmacists must shift the conversation from seeking bigger allocations to creating new value: “The solution is simple: stop asking for a bigger piece of the old pie—create a new value-based pie.”
She applauded NAFDAC, under DG Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, for aligning Nigeria with global regulatory standards such as the ICH E6(R3) Good Clinical Practice and ICH M13A Bioequivalence guidelines, noting that this will strengthen trust in data generated within Nigeria.
She urged the profession to embrace the 'One Health' approach, recognising the interdependence of water, energy and food security, while encouraging the use of science diplomacy to translate research into inclusive policies.
Prof. Babalola concluded with ten imperatives for the profession, which she described as “the commandments for sustainability and relevance”:
1. Embrace lifelong learning and innovation
2. Place patients at the centre of practice
3. Reclaim visibility and professional identity
4. Champion policy engagement and advocacy
5. Reform and modernise pharmacy education
6. Lead interprofessional collaboration
7. Drive research, innovation and local production
8. Uphold ethics, integrity and accountability
9. Expand clinical and entrepreneurial services
10. Ensure fair remuneration and professional sustainability
Her keynote drew a standing ovation from delegates, many of whom described her message as “the awakening call the profession has long-awaited.”
