Adeluyi charges young pharmacists on outstanding performance

President of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy, Julius Adelusi–Adeluyi, has charged young pharmacists to standout by daring into other ventures like politics.

Adelusi-Adeluyi, at the launch of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy’s Young Pharmacists Mentoring Programme in Lagos, expressed concern that no other pharmacist has assume ministerial position in the country since he left as a Minister of Health decades ago.

He said: “Before me, there was none and after me, there have been none, and that is not good enough. That is why I am advising the younger ones to do such things as to make them stand out. ”

The former Minister of Health revealed that the mentoring programme was an effort by the older and more experienced generation of pharmacists to help the younger generation to realise potentials in the profession.

The academy, which is made up of pharmacies who have gathered experience and exposure and are at the very leadership of the profession, has set an agenda to provide leadership thought to guide the profession and younger ones who just qualified and are looking forward to their future.

He disclosed that the mentoring programme intend to reach out to about 10,000 young pharmacists nationwide, as each person would be provided with a mentor for a year period.

Adelusi-Adeluyi further described the profession as the only science-driven field that has a commercial window, “in other words, with the pharmaceutical agenda, you can have a commercial window, thus retail pharmacies.”

He, however, explained that though the profession is in the right direction, but the challenge is with people whom are not pharmacies trying to compete with the professionals in the commercial aspect. But the truth is that the professional is not there for money, but to provide services and if they do it well, can be successful, he said.

The theme for the mentoring programme is “The Next Generation Pharmacist, Poise, Pizzazz and Panache.”

Also speaking at the event was President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Alhaji Ahmed Yakasai, who pointed out that the mentoring programme is in the right direction, because, pharmacy student only learn the rudiments of the training in the university but the actual skills, especially with the various sectors are learnt outside the university, “so it is necessary various mentors are assigned to mentor these younger ones on the right direction, depending on their selected sector. “

Yakasai noted: “We are redirecting them, to think of patients, public health, so people can understand we are thinking about safety as well being the essential member of health care team.”

According to the Chairman, Planning Committee, Jimi Agbaje, most younger people, after graduating from the university are confused as to which direction they go, especially in the Nigerian society particularly where emphasis have be come that of money.