Breaking news and updates from Nigeria's pharmacy profession.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria has challenged proposed changes to the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria Governing Council, arguing that regulatory efficiency should not come at the expense of professional expertise, technical oversight and patient safety.
Dr Bonsome Bokolo has challenged Nigerian pharmacists to take greater ownership of pharmaceutical research, medicines quality assurance and healthcare decision-making, urging them to use their expertise to influence the direction of medicines and pharmacy practice.
The US CDC has extended artemether-lumefantrine treatment to five days for uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in the United States. The development raises important questions about treatment failure, drug exposure and malaria care in Africa, including Nigeria.
May & Baker CEO Pharm. Patrick Ajah says local manufacturers can help detect suspected counterfeit medicines through their nationwide presence and established relationships with pharmacies and medicine distributors.
Pharmacy academics have been challenged to rethink teaching, research and professional training as NAPA’s 24th Annual National Scientific Conference in Bayelsa examined how pharmacy education can respond to technological and healthcare changes.
The Nigeria Customs Service has handed over 45 cartons of unregistered pharmaceutical products intercepted at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport to NAFDAC, reinforcing inter-agency efforts to prevent unauthorised medicines from entering Nigeria’s drug supply chain.
Nigeria is preparing to expand perennial malaria chemoprevention for children under two as new data show malaria prevalence has fallen to 15%. The move comes as the country continues to carry one of the world’s largest malaria burdens.
Kano State has become the first stop in a North-West pharmacovigilance tour aimed at strengthening medicine-safety structures, improving adverse drug reaction reporting and supporting stronger coordination across healthcare facilities.
NAFDAC has approved 450 young pharmacists for its Young Pharmacists Reserve Volunteers Programme after receiving 1,410 applications nationwide. The volunteers will be trained in pharmacovigilance, post-market surveillance and enforcement activities through the Agency's Narcotics and Controlled Substances Directorate, in collaboration with the Young Pharmacists Group and other stakeholders.
The NDLEA says it has destroyed 329,865.585 kg of assorted illicit drugs worth an estimated ₦301.06 billion in Lagos, including tramadol, codeine syrup, ephedrine and other opioids.
Over-the-counter medicines may not require a prescription, but safe supply still requires professional judgement. A brief, structured consultation can help pharmacists identify inappropriate treatment, medication-related risks and patients who need referral.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has transmitted a new national work-hour policy to federal tertiary hospitals, proposing a 48-hour weekly limit and mandatory rest after calls.
