Date: 2016-09-18

A Pharmacist in the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Mr Lanre Alege, has said that registered pharmacists in Nigeria are grossly inadequate, considering the population of the country.

Alege said this on Saturday in a lecture delivered during the monthly Keep Fit exercise for members of staff of the institution at the Kwara Stadium Complex in Ilorin.

He said that according to the records of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN). Nigeria has 17,000 registered pharmacists, "Nigeria, the most populous black nation in the world with estimated 170 million people (2012 population) can only have a pharmacist to 10,000 Nigerians by that number,''he said. He defined pharmacy as an International profession which deals with the art and science of cultivating, collecting, compounding, manufacturing and dispensing of drugs and poisons. He also said that pharmacy involved training, research, drug development and provision of pharmaceutical care.

Alege who is also the National Auditor of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), said that, "The World Pharmacists Day is being celebrated every September 25 and recognised by the WHO", adding that the theme for this year's celebration is: "Pharmacists; caring for you".

He said that in UITH, a tertiary health institution of 640 beds complement with an average of 20,000 monthly patients' attendance is boosted with only 33 registered pharmacists carrying out various activities in 17 decentralised pharmacy units.

The Pharmacist further said that the roles of pharmacists could not be overemphasised. The Keep Fit exercise, as usual, started with walking and jogging, and ended with flexibility exercise.