The ongoing 41st Annual Scientific Conference organised by the

Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has successfully trained over 150 pharmacists on vaccination administration. This feat was achieved during a training workshop organised by ACPN Transgeneration Pharmacies Development Foundation in partnership with the Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in the America (NAPPSA).

The conference workshop which was broken into two practical sessions ran concurrently with participants across boards. The first practical

session focused on vaccination tools; and techniques and guideline for

application of vaccines. It is of essence to prepare participants for

fieldwork vaccine clinic which demonstrated the proper use of Vaccines,

The second session of the workshop centred on Basic Life Support (BLS),

which has to do with emergency guidelines on basic life support which is

basically about first aids and resuscitating procedure in event of accident.

Remarking about the essence of the conference workshop, the National Chairman of ACPN, Pharm. Adewale Aderemi Oladigbolu highlighted the training of its members is to prepare for the current pandemic and the future ones that may come. “The Covid 19 crisis taught enough experience and we have learnt never to waste a crisis; rather we will learn and prepare for the future.” He said.

Speaking about the vaccination workshop, Dr Samuel Adekola, immediate

past Chairman of ACPN and the current Programme Director of ACPN

Transgeneration Pharmacies Development Foundation, expressed joy over

the success of the vaccination workshop. He said the rationale behind

equipping Pharmacists for vaccination is to help improve the primary

health delivery in Nigeria. “There is a remarkable difference between

this year’s training workshop when compared to last year. There is more

confidence among the participants as local trainees for last year now

support the training process of the new participants. More technology

are also now used in the operations and working, and has gain government

support and approval.” He enjoined members of this noble profession to

be determined to contribute their quota in the health sector.

The National Secretary of the Association, Pharm. Eze Igwekanma, commended the workshop organised by ACPN and partners as laudable and a move in the right direction to save Nigeria of vaccination and grow community health. He commended the efforts of the National Chairman of ACPN, Pharm. Oladigbolu on this, and also Dr Adekola, the national coordinator of the vaccination programme, for the great contribution toward national health development.

The Chairperson, Planning Committee of the conference, Pharm (Mrs) Esom-Ibe Agbomma, expressed her joy for the vaccination programme which she said was a complete success. She lament that vaccination administration by pharmacists is long over due in Nigeria, as their contemporaries abroad have long been trained and prepared to vaccinate. While expressing her joy over this development, she assured that no stone would be left unturned to boost this to help the primary healthcare.

Dr Ayotunde Fajembola, a US based clinical pharmacist and board member of NAPPSA expressed her joy for the development. She said; “Previously

Nigeria’s pharmacists unlike their counterparts abroad could not

vaccinate because they are not allowed to do so. But with programmes

like this, pharmacists are now empowered and recognised as capable

hands.” She challenged the participants to keep moving forward to show

that they have the requisite skills to deliver.

In the same vein, Dr Chinyere Anyanwu, clinical pharmacist and board

member of NAPPSA who came from the US to assist in training exercise,

also expressed her joy that pharmacists in Nigeria are now ready to take

their rightful place to improve the health of their community. She

assured that soon people should be able to walk into a pharmaceutical

store and get their regular vaccination rather than queuing for hours at the health centers.

The Pharmacist Council of Nigeria (PCN), was not left out of the programme as the Registrar of the association Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed

was ably represented by Pharm. Zainab Suleiman. Commenting on this novel

development, she thanked the organisers and partners (NAPPSA) for the

laudable project which she said will be beneficial to all. She said, “At

the end of this training, participants are expected to be able to

administer Covid 19 vaccine and basic life support in moment of emergencies.

Reminiscing on the outcome of the workshop, Hon. Pharm. John Enger FPSN, a participant at the conference wildly commended the organisers,

describing the conference workshop as one that is quite revealing as it is more practical than theoretical. “We all have something to take home

to confidently practise because we have been skilfully trained to save  life in our communities. He said.

The resourceful workshop was well attended by the big pharmaceutical companies to made presentations about their products and other health matters. While commending the organisers, Emzor Group executive director, Uzoma Ezeoke assured of working hard to make vaccines available not only in Nigeria, but across Africa; hence, the imperative need for partnership with ACPN. assene laborex was also on ground to introduce their new products and support the event.