The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has inducted 175 foreign-trained pharmacists into the profession, urging them to uphold high ethical standards and leadership values in line with the council’s regulations to ensure quality pharmaceutical services and sustainable healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
The Registrar of the council, Pharm. Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, made the call during the induction ceremony of participants of the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Orientation Programme (FPGOP) held on Friday in Abuja.
Ahmed said that rapid scientific advancement and increasing patient safety concerns require pharmacists to continually update their competencies and skills.
He noted that the PCN is implementing the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) programme, which he described as critical to professional practice and licensure.
According to him, the MCPD programme aligns with resolutions of the World Health Organisation (WHO) for all health professionals and directives of the Federal Ministry of Health issued at the maiden National Health Summit in 1996.
Ahmed explained that the MCPD programme is designed to ensure the continued relevance of pharmacists within the healthcare team, with patients as the primary focus. He added that the programme offers both online and onsite learning packages.
He further stated that, globally, pharmacy graduates are statutorily required to undergo a 12-month continuous internship training programme under the supervision of a registered and licensed pharmacist at a PCN-approved internship centre.
Ahmed noted that the internship period serves both as a training phase and a preparation stage for future professional opportunities.
He described pharmacy as a noble profession that offers graduates diverse career prospects in industry, community practice, hospitals, administration, research, academia and other fields such as information technology, journalism, publishing and governance.
The registrar said the inductees had completed the orientation programme at designated centres as required by the PCN (Establishment) Act, 2022, and passed the qualifying examinations aimed at familiarising them with pharmaceutical practice in tropical environments, particularly Nigeria.
He warned that the PCN frowns at professional misconduct in all forms, noting that any infraction would be investigated by the PCN Investigating Panel and, where necessary, referred to the Disciplinary Tribunal.
Such disciplinary action, he said, could result in removal of a pharmacist’s name from the register for a specified period, during which the individual would not be allowed to practise.
In her remarks, the Chairman of PCN, Hajia Wosilat Giwa, said Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector is at a pivotal stage, stressing the importance of local manufacturing, research and innovation, access to quality and safe medicines, and strengthened primary healthcare services.
She told the inductees that their expertise is urgently needed to optimise medication therapy management, adding that the investments made by their families must translate into meaningful service to humanity.
Giwa said the pharmacy profession is evolving rapidly with advances in artificial intelligence, personalised medicine and biotechnology, urging the inductees to remain dynamic and impactful in their practice.
She described the FPGOP as a quality control mechanism designed to equip foreign-trained pharmacists with the clinical, legal, regulatory and social competencies required to practise in Nigeria.
By completing the programme, she said, the inductees had demonstrated the resilience and adaptability expected of modern pharmacists.
“You are now positioned to integrate your expertise with the unique realities of our healthcare system. As you take your oath today, you must recognize that your role as a pharmacist in the realm of public health embodies the trust bestowed upon you by the public. The PCN mandates strict compliance with the highest ethical standards in the profession,” Giwa said.
