The pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Oyo State chapter has enjoined its member to be more committed in their profession as veterinary pharmacists.

This was made known by the PCN South-west zonal director, Pharm. Yejide Oseni, during an entrepreneurial training conducted by the pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria held at the Pharmacy department in the University of Ibadan.

In her speech, she reminds the members of the need to venture into veterinary pharmacy as it has been an integral part of their profession. “Some years ago, we did not talk about that and it was dormant”, she said.

Pharm. Oseni said; “Like in human life, the doctors prescribe while the pharmacist dispense, therefore, in veterinary, the veterinary doctors equally prescribe and the pharmacists dispense”.

Pharm Abiodun Ajibade, the Oyo State PSN chairman while addressing the participants on why they are facing some challenges  said; “we are not so much involve in veterinary pharmacy, the fight ahead of us is a jungle fight, we cannot do that by keeping quiet”.

Pharm. Abiodun Ajibade, Oyo State PSN Chairman 

He pleaded with the members to get involved in the affairs of the country adding that, it has denied them of some of their rights.

Pharm. Ajibade said “anytime they are sharing cake, we are not there, even in politics we are not there, let’s be politically awake, be relevant in anywhere you find yourself. In your church, mosque, don’t sit back, that is why it is difficult for us”.

Speaking with CEOAfrica, he said “when you say you are a pharmacist, you know you are custodians of medications both for animals and human, but when we now have people trying to begin to operate in an area that they are not familiar with, automatically, you will see a lot of arguments”

Pharm. Abiodun Ajibade in an interview with CEOAfrica

He also added that “pharmacists are people that have been trained in terms of toxicology of drugs, I mean drug safety, availability, production and everything about drugs”.

In clearing some doubts if pharmacists are qualified to handle animal drugs, he said “most of this drugs that we see today, before there are consumed by humans, they had been subjected to trials, even in animals”

He added, “So we can even tell you that we know the reactions of these drugs inside animals, so when people are talking about  non-pharmacists or veterinary doctors trying to take custody of drugs, we see that as laughable and its going to endanger Nigerians lives if that should happen.

Pharmacist Opeyemi Akindele, in his own lecture on “How to startup veterinary pharmacy unit in community pharmacy”, gave the tips required for starting a veterinary business.

Pharmacist Opeyemi Akindele during his lecture "How to startup veterinary pharmacy unit in community pharmacy”

Akindele urged the members to have confidence in themselves and not to be intimidated by the veterinary doctors’ threats.

“Pharmacists are custodians of drugs and vaccines in an absolute sense” he added.

While speaking with CEOAfrica, pharmacistAkindele, said, “when we are talking about how to start veterinary pharmacy unit in a pharmacy, it doesn’t mean that a pharmacist is a veterinary doctor, what we are trying to say is that pharmacists already have medications which are fit for human and animals”.

He went further to say “they are drugs specifically prepared for use in animals which pharmacists also should have, so that when people make request for them, they can sell it to them. Vet doctors have business with treating animals, injecting them, doing operations on them”.

On his part, Pharmacist Odukoya Taofik Oladipupo,  the CEO  of Vanguard pharmacy, while delivering his lecture on “Setting up a veterinary Pharmacy”, urged the participants to step up into veterinary business, as non-professionals has gradually taken the place of the pharmacists in the society.

Pharmacist Odukoya Taofik Oladipupo in a lecture with his colleagues on "Setting up a veterinary Pharmacy"

Pharm. Oladipupo stated that “veterinary pharmacy is not getting the kind of attention it deserves in Nigeria”. In this regard, “I will do it over and over again to ensure the gap is filled”.

Pharm.Taofik in an interview with our correspondent, said, “A pharmacist is a drug expert, while the veterinary doctors are trained and specialists in diagnosis”.

Furthermore, he said, “a pharmacist can never work as veterinary doctor and neither can a veterinary doctors do the work of a pharmacists, is like saying can a medical doctor work like a pharmacist, or do the work of a pharmacist, they are all different professions”.

Alhaji Adebayo Olufemi in his goodwill message said “everybody is interested in our profession and there are economical gains in the profession”.

In condemning the abuse of the profession by some unqualified doctors, he said “the veterinary profession has a lot of quacks, do we want more quacks in the veterinary pharmacy?” he asked.

In the course of the lecture, Pharm. Yejide Oseni disclosed that PSN has a lot of challenges and the solutions are being worked on.

She mentioned some of the problems that PSN is facing as:

• Firstly oppositions on the regulation and control of veterinary manufacturing company by Pharmaceutical council of Nigeria (PCN).
• Institution of court case against PCN by veterinary doctors.
• Recent intention to take over the registration of veterinary pharmacy by Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN)
• And the ongoing bill at the national assembly by VCN infringing on the recent PCN law with intention to dispense veterinary drugs, establish the training of veterinary pharmacists, by veterinary surgeons only.

Speaking in an interview, Pharmacists Salaudi Abdulazeez said “the major problem is the rival among the health workers which is like someone advocating the power of one health worker to himself or herself”.

He also added “we the youth just think, it’s about changing the orientation of who is a doctor or a nurse or a physiotherapist or urologist, we are all part of the medical team and we have to do our best moving forward”.