PSN president inaugurates M&B pharmacy award committee

President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Ahmed I. Yakasai, has inaugurated the Committee for the 12th edition of the May & Baker Professional Service Award in Pharmacy.

May & Baker in a statement signed by the Head, Corporate Communications, Eugene Olewuenyi, said that the Committee, inaugurated on Wednesday April 20, 2016, comprised of five eminent pharmacists led by a fellow of PSN and Director, Ports Inspection Directorate, National Agency for the Control of Foods and Drugs (NAFDAC), Maureen Ebigbeyi, will conduct the 2016 version of the award whose winner is expected to be announced at the 89th Annual National Conference of the PSN, scheduled for Mina, Niger State, in November 2016.

The May & Baker Professional Service Award in Pharmacy was instituted in 2005 by May & Baker Nigeria Plc. to recognize outstanding achievements and contributions in the practice of pharmacy in Nigeria. It targets individual practitioners, public servants, academics and researchers who have made outstanding and excellent contributions to the profession. The award, which carries a prize tag of N500, 000, is organized in collaboration with the PSN.

Inaugurating the Committee, Yakasai, said the PSN and the entire Nigerian pharmacists are happy with May & Baker for instituting the award. He said this award in its eleven years history has helped the growth and development of pharmacy in Nigeria by encouraging pharmacists to work towards excellence. It has also encouraged pharmacists to track and document their contributions in the practice of the profession.

Yakasai described the Committee members as eminent pharmacists who were selected on the basis of their character and contributions to pharmacy and implored them to ensure that the outcome of their work would show transparency, as has been the case with previous committees.

He urged other pharmaceutical companies to emulate the example of May & Baker by instituting programmes that would promote pharmacy practice in Nigeria.

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of May & Baker Nigeria Plc., Mr. Nanmdi Okafor, thanked the PSN president for personally inaugurating the committee. He commended the PSN for working with May & Baker over the years to ensure the success of the award. He said the caliber of people always chosen to manage the award every year proves that the PSN takes the award project seriously. He promised that May & Baker remains committed to the objectives of the award and will do what is necessary to improve on its offerings.

Responding on behalf of the Committee, Ebigbeyi said the members have accepted the assignment with every sense of responsibility. He promised that the Committee would not only do a good job but will also work to improve the quality of the award.