pharmacists have capacity to conduct covid-19 …...41 years of uninterrupted monthly publication...

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President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Pharm. (Mazi)

Sam Ohuabunwa, has called on the Nigerian government and the Presidential Task Force on the coronavirus pandemic to take advantage of pharmacists’ expertise to strengthen the fight against the disease, stressing that Nigerian pharmacists are

capable of conducting COVID-19 tests, using the desktop test kits, as being done by their counterparts in other nations.

Ohuanbuwa made the submission on the heels of the creation of new testing centres for COVID-19 across the country, calling the attention of government to the need to deploy test kits to pharmacies

for the exercise.Speaking with Pharmanews

in an exclusive interview, the number one pharmacist in Nigeria said: “Nigerian pharmacists have the capacity to carry out COVID-19 tests using the desktop test kits that are being used in many nations

Pharmacists have capacity to conduct COVID-19 tests – Ohuanbunwa

MAY 2020 Vol. 42 No.5

By Temitope Obayendo

L-R: Lagos State Chairman of Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, Pharm. Olabanji Obideyi; President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Pharm. (Mazi) Sam Ohuabunwwa; and Managing Director of New Heights Pharmaceuticals, Pharm. Ogheneochuko Omaruaye, at the World Asthma Day awareness campaign in Lagos recently.

Pharmanews May 2020 Layout .indd 1 5/14/2020 3:06:50 PM

Celebrating 41 Years of Uninterrupted Monthly Publication (1979-2020)

2

Pharm. Kingsley Ekwunife is the deputy director, Pharmacy Department, National Orthopaedic Hospital Igbobi, Lagos.

Born on 29 May, 1971, he had his post-elementary education at the Federal Government College, Ugwulawo, Idah, Kogi State, from 1982 to1988. He proceeded for his tertiary education at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), where he bagged his B. Pharm degree in 1995.

A practitioner in hospital pharmacy, Ekwunife had his internship at the National Orthopaedic hospital, Igbobi Lagos (WHO Collaborating Centre) from 1996 to 1997. He also served as a NYSC pharmacist at the State Hospital Ede, Osun State, from 1997 to 1998. Shortly after, he had a brief stint at community practice when he worked as a part-time pharmacist at Bernados Pharmacy Limited.

Since joining the pharmacy department of the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Lagos, as a Grade One pharmacist, Ekwunife has always played significant roles in the compounding and advocacy section of the hospital, where he presently heads.

During the outbreak of Ebola virus in 2014, he supervised the production of the first set of hand sanitizers, extemporaneously made in the pharmacy department. Even in the ongoing fight against the spread of COVID-19, he has deployed his wealth of experience into the mass production of hand sanitizers, as well as training several healthcare professionals on how to produce sanitizers, liquid soaps and so on.

A vibrant pharmacist, Ekwunife is a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) where he has held some key positions. He was an erstwhile social secretary of PSN, a position he held from 2011 to 2013. He also served as the vice president, National Union of Health Professional from 2011 to 2014.

Ekwunife also holds membership of other professional bodies locally and internationally. These include the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP); The Hague, Netherland; National Union of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists (NAHAP); and National Union of Health Care Professionals (NUAP). He is a Fellow of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP).

A devout Christian and catholic, Ekwunife is an entrepreneur par excellence. He is the CEO Kingsland Pharmacy Limited, Satellite Town, Lagos. He is happily married with children.

2

Sir Ifeanyi AtueyiFPSN, FPCPharm, FNAPharm, FNAPPSA, DFPEFON, FNIM

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Having a specific meaning and purpose in your life helps to encourage you towards living a fulfilling and inspired life. - Vic Johnson

Success is inevitable if you keep moving. The

only thing that matters is that you keep going. The only way to truly fail at a marathon is to stop taking the next step. Tim Grahl

“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success. That is way great spiritual giants are produced.” – Swami Vivekananda

“Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.” – Mark Victor Hansen

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3Pharmanews May 2020 Vol. 42 No. 5 Editorial }

}

Lockdown ease: Averting imminent

catastrophe

Faced with soaring pressure from the business community and simmering tension

from a disgruntled citizenry, the Federal Government on 27 April announced the easing of the 28-day lockdown that had been imposed on the states of Lagos and Ogun, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, to curb the spread of the raging coronavirus disease. President Muhammadu Buhari, in a televised broadcast, hinted that the decision to begin the partial relaxation on 4 May was a trade-off between the determination to defeat the pandemic and the desire to steer the country’s fragile economy away from the path of another recession.

To further emphasise that the threat of the virus was still very real and that the easing of the lockdown was not total, the government rolled out a set of guidelines and safety measures to be adopted within the period. These included: Prohibition of interstate travel, except for essential travels and services, as well as for persons on essential duty; mandatory use of non-medical face masks for all persons while in public spaces; prohibition of mass gatherings of more than 20 people outside of the workplace; retention of a ban on all passenger flights; restriction of religious gatherings; social distancing of two meters must be maintained among people in workplaces and other public spaces; imposition of overnight curfew from 8 pm to 6 am.

It came as no surprise that the majority of health workers, who had been at the frontline of stemming the pandemic in the country, were against the government’s decision.

Groups, such as the Nigerian Medical Association and the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals warned of astronomical surge in the number of infections and other consequences. The easing of the lockdown had come at a most inauspicious time – when the number of cases had just begun to escalate. Going by the World Health Organisation’s recommendation, a country can only start to ease restrictions on people’s movement once it is sure that transmission is controlled. Sadly, the reverse is the case here.

Truth be told, in a country like Nigeria, where the health system itself is gravely ill, where the majority of the over 200 million population are living in abject poverty and in overcrowded environments, and where the government had not deemed it necessary to set up any social welfare structure, the safest option would have been to do all that could be done to prevent the virus from entering the country. But since it is here already, the only realistic strategy in winning the war is to maintain a delicate balance between safety of lives and sustenance of livelihoods.

Our recommendation therefore is that, more than ever before, all hands must be on deck to salvage the country from the precarious conundrum

in which it has found itself. It must be a collective fight, if we must prevent the catastrophe being predicted by experts and analysts in the aftermath of the lockdown relaxation. Suffice to say that, as things stand, the prognosis does not look very good, judging by the level of compliance with the safety guidelines rolled out by the government. In many areas, the social distancing rule has been largely ignored, with people crowded at banks and bus stops, and many not wearing face masks. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has indeed warned that these flagrant violations could result in more persons being infected and may result in another lockdown.

We call on Nigerians to make concerted efforts in terms of involvement, awareness, enforcement and investment to defeat COVID-19. Especially now that community spread has begun, leaders at all levels must intensify their involvement in ensuring adherence to the guidelines. No leader – political, organisational, religious or traditional – must stand aloof at this time because this has become a “swim-together-or-sink-together” emergency. When leaders are seen to be active, followers naturally take a cue.

We must emphasise that

this involvement must begin with the government and, by that, we mean the president in particular. The current approach of occasional pre-recorded national addresses neither communicates involvement nor inspires hope in the citizenry. Similarly, state governors need to join hands with the FG to ensure coherence in this fight. The present trend in which some governors are blatantly countering the NCDC’s directives and others twisting, politicising and even commercialising reports about the situation in their territories is utterly unacceptable.

The issue of awareness is also of particular importance. Presently, there are still many Nigerians who insist that all the brouhaha about COVID-19 is just a hoax. Consequently the restriction and personal hygiene guidelines are merely seen as punishment. Government, in conjunction with community leaders, needs to address this. Enforcement of guidelines also has to be intensified with the help of the various law enforcement agencies. This requires utmost sincerity as current reports do not indicate sanction but collusion with offenders for monetary gain.

Lastly and most importantly, there is need to invest more funds and donations in winning this fight. Scaling up testing and tracing capacity throughout the federation is a matter of priority. Provision of test kits, personal protective equipment, testing and isolation centres, as well as qualified and motivated manpower are of paramount importance. The battle line with COVID-19 is drawn already and Nigeria must emerge victorious.



4 Reflection }

}

By Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi

We may not be in the type of work we love when we are young because some

factors come into play in deciding our work or career. Usually we believe that what we want to do should be closely related to what we studied in the college or university. Or, it may be where there is an employment opportunity or where the remuneration is attractive or even where we have a personal connection, which is a common factor in Nigeria.

Many people find themselves in such situations and only try to encourage themselves to hang on to the work. This is one reason many find themselves drifting in the labour market. Many spend decades doing what they don’t enjoy. People confine themselves to such jobs and patiently wait for their retirement. This is why many workers are average and do not have job satisfaction. This type of work limits their i n n o v a t i v e a b i l i t i e s , and their talents and gifts may not be properly d e p l o y e d . T h e r e f o r e , they hardly d i s t i n g u i s h themselves.

S o m e workers know full well that their current employments are just work-in-progress and are on their way to somewhere. Many a time, such jobs may be lucrative and therefore they stay put because of the financial benefits as every worker has some financial needs. You acquire money but money cannot solve stress and emotional problems.

When I left the university in 1964, I had no other choice but to be employed as a pharmacist because I studied Pharmacy. Even getting into the pharmacy school was just because I did not know exactly what else to do with my Physics, Chemistry and Zoology subjects at the Higher School Certificate level. My subject combination was best for Medicine but I had no interest in Medicine.

Consequently, I found myself graduating as a pharmacist and getting into some professional services as medical representative, retail pharmacist, hospital pharmacist, production pharmacist, and even military pharmacist during the Nigeria-Biafra war. I found myself working for American, British, Lebanese and Nigerian companies. In all these, I did not have job satisfaction, neither did I know the direction I was going in life.

From 1964 to 1978, I drifted from one job to the other, not

knowing what I actually wanted to do and could not imagine how my working life would end. There is no doubt that today many people are in similar situations. They may not be drifting from job to job as I did because opportunities are limited today but they don’t know where they are going and are not enjoying what they are doing.

It was much later in life that my spiritual eyes were opened. When I started reading my Bible more seriously, I discovered that despite the wrong decisions

and choices I made , God did not abandon

me because He had already planned what I would do for Him. Even in cases of gross disobedience, He showed me mercy and continued to demonstrate His love for me despite being

stiff-necked. God allowed

the Israelites to wonder about in

the wilderness for 40 years for a journey that should have taken only 40 days, to teach them some l e s s o n s . In the same way,

He caused me to work in various places as part of preparation for the assignment He had destined for me, even before I was born. I realised that each of His children has been called to do something special and it is our responsibility to seek it, find it and be faithful to it.

We need to have a close relationship with God in order to succeed. Moses was called to lead the people of Israel. Isaiah and Jeremiah were called to be prophets. Paul was called to be an apostle to the Gentiles. Let us not forget evangelists like Billy Graham and Reinhard Bonnke. In the same way, people have been called into various services or ministries. I believe that God has implanted in every person a purpose which they are appointed to accomplish. This calling can be pursued in a range of occupations, careers or professions.

Unfortunately, many fail to find their true work because they are not serious with seeking the will of the Creator. Some depend on counsellors, teachers, parents, friends, guardians or even pastors for direction. These are good sources but the best and true Source is the Creator. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Towards your destinyPharmanews May 2020 Vol. 42 No. 5

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Coke’s original recipe: Was there really cocaine in it?



Pharmanews May 2020 Vol. 42 No. 5 5

City Pharmaceuticals and Allied Partners Limited, a pharmaceutical

company incorporated as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to institutionalise drug distribution system in Nigeria, has commended the Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu for demonstrating dynamic leadership providing and providing effective measures towards curbing the coronavirus pandemic in the state.

Chairman of the board of City Pharma, Pharm. (Sir) Nnamdi Obi, gave the commendation at the public presentation of medical items, which included cartons of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), hand sanitizers, examination/surgical gloves and other pharmaceutical products worth over 80 million to the Lagos State government.

Obi said the donation was its corporate social responsibility drive to augment and support the excellent efforts of the state government in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

He added that the gesture was a way of partnering the state government to halt the spread and effects if the disease.

Addressing Sanwo-Olu, Obi said: “in light of the recent outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in the state, we would like to appreciate and applaud Your Excellency’s effort and tenacity in the fight against the spread, effect and obliteration of this pandemic. You have led this fight in an exemplary manner and we are positive that this will forever be engraved in the hearts of many in the state,” he said.

Continuing, he said: “As a means of corporate social responsibility, our company, City Pharmaceuticals and Allied Partners Limited, is glad to donate drugs and clinical items which include complete set of personal protective equipment (PPE), cartons of hand sanitizer, surgical gloves, and other pharmaceutical products that are very essential in the treatment of this COVID-19 pandemic to the state, and we are doing this in a bid to contribute, augment and support the excellent performance of the governor of the state, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu,” He said.

The chairman reiterated the company’s support towards the measures being taken by the government to ensure that citizens are well protected and cared for as the pandemic rages, while assuring the state government of further support in the fight against the pandemic.

While speaking at the event, Pharm. (Mrs) Tawa Arilesere, a director at City Pharma, called on other corporate organisations and notable individuals to extend more support to the state government in the fight against COVID-19, noting that the government alone cannot do it.

“The donation is a gesture from us in our quest to cooperate with the state government to put COVID-19 to an end; and we are hopeful that these items will go a long way to help the isolation

City Pharma lauds Sanwo-Olu over handling of COVID-19

centres across the state,” she said

Receiving the items on behalf of the governor, the Commissioner for Transport, Lagos State, Dr Fredric Oladehinde, commended City Pharma for the gesture, adding that government would not relent in its effort to curb the spread of the virus in the state.

He also expressed the commitment of the Governor Sanwo-Olu led administratiio towards provision of information on COVID-19 to the public.

- Donates over 80m worth of PPEs, sanitisers, drugs to fight pandemicBy Adebayo Oladejo

Pharm. (Sir) Nnamdi Obi (Right), with other members of the team, presenting the medical items to the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr Fredrick Oladehinde (Middle).

}

}Industry News


6 Pharmanews May 2020 Vol. 42 No. 5


Selling Champion }

}

By George O. Emetuche

Recently, I took my boys, Giovanni and Darren, in a 90-minute session on

School of Life Series. I told them that I would teach them what they wouldn’t learn in their schools. They listened to me attentively as I explored the concept of “Life is likened to a Computer” - you receive what you put in it, and whatever you sow, you reap. Therefore, if you plant yam, you reap yam.

The younger one, Darren, who is 9, asked an instructive question that informed the topic of this article. He asked, ‘’ Daddy, why is it that sometimes when you plant, the seed won’t grow’’? The question seemed simple but required a broad explanation. I asked if he had experienced that before and he told me how he once planted a seed in our compound but, astonishingly, the seed didn’t grow as he expected. He couldn’t reconcile the outcome with what I said that when you plant, you reap.

As a professional trainer, I knew a big job was staring at me; the job of explaining to my sons why the seed didn’t grow! Consequently, I began my explanation. I told them that when you plant, you must ensure the following:

1. The seed planted must be a good one.

2. The seed must be planted in a fertile soil.

3. The soil must be watered and cared for.

4. The person sowing the seed must be knowledgeable enough in the world of farming.

5. The season of planting must be right.

6. Then pray.

My boys nodded, as I unraveled the process that leads to successful planting and reaping. This took place on the third day of the first two-week lockdown.

Some people may have planted various seeds at different times without receiving bountiful harvests. This is true because sometimes we experience what we least expected. Life is not automatic!

Beyond plantingThe main issue is not to

plant a seed. Everyone can dig the ground and plant seeds. But the crux of the matter is to care for the seed. The main issue is to go the process that ensures bountiful harvest.

I believe that anyone that

plants peeps into the future. Therefore, the sower must go the extra mile to water and care for the plant to ensure success when the time of reaping comes. In our individual endeavours, the question we should ask always is: Are we truly following the process that guarantees successful outcomes? This question applies in all situations. It applies in our families, in businesses, in professional lives, in careers, in vocations and so on.

Are you really planting in a fertile soil? Are you watering and caring for what you planted? Success is a practical endeavour. Nobody succeeds by mere wishing. Success is not served on a platter. You must work your success. You must take one step at a time to climb the Success Ladder. You must do this diligently.

This is the right time to review your strategy. You need to find out creative ways to get better even if you think you are doing well already. You need to review and discover better ways of doing things in order to reach your planned destination.

Your seed can grow exponentially if you follow the right process. Yes! Your seeds can grow beyond your imagination if you just adhere to the right principles. Success is about following the right

principles.As the world is passing

through a phase because of COVID-19, this is the right time for reflection to rediscover the true you. The world may be on lockdown, but let your mind not be on lockdown.

May our seeds grow exponentially and astronomically, amen.

Stay Positive.Stay Safe.Stay Healthy.Read A Book.

George O. Emetuche, CES,Brian Tracy endorsed

bestselling author, accredited training consultant, life coach, sales and marketing expert.

P.S: Due to the lockdown, the date for our Masterclass is shifted indefinitely. A new date will be announced accordingly.

Don’t just sow a seed, water it“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”

- Audrey Hepburn.




It was Victor Hugo, the iconic French writer, who once said, “All the armies of the world

cannot resist an idea whose time has come.” One immediately gets a good understanding and appreciation of Hugo’s message here as one considers the chain of events leading to the birth of a child that has completed its period of gestation in the womb. From what I have read, two schools of thought exist among medical scientists and researchers as to who, between the mother and the child, triggers the onset of labour. There are those who believe that it is the mother’s body that signals to the baby that its “residency” period is over, while others believe it is the baby that actually tells the mother that it is mature enough to face the outside world.

Regardless of anyone’s position on the matter, however, one of two questions must arise: What makes the same body of the mother that had patiently harboured and cared for a baby throughout the gestation period to suddenly decide that it no longer wants to continue housing it? Or, on the other hand, we may ask, what makes a baby that has comfortably stayed in the womb for nine months to suddenly decide that it desperately wants to be out of it? The answer we will get to both questions is the same. The appointed time has come – and nothing on earth can stop it.

And so it was with Pharmanews. The sequence of events that led to its birth was so sudden and so extraordinary that, till today, there are still questions surrounding it that even I cannot answer. The only conclusion I can satisfy myself with is that God must have purposed that it was time for it and, thus, everything else must begin to work towards its actualisation without delay.

The “labour contractions” for the birth of Pharmanews, as I termed it in the previous chapter, actually began in 1978, when I decided to resign as the editor-in-chief of the PSN journal. Well, as much as one may be astonished by this decision of mine – considering how passionate I had been for the publication – I believe that this astonishment will be sufficiently tempered by the preamble I already provided at the beginning of this chapter, as to the wonders preceding the birth of an idea or of a child.

Sincerely, I cannot pinpoint any cogent reason for taking the decision to resign as the editor-in-chief of the Nigerian Pharmacy Journal. To start with, there was no limit to my tenure, unlike the positions of the President and National Secretary that spanned three years. Therefore, after having served under Pharm. Chris Efobi, as president, from 1974 to 1977, I continued under Chief Ayo Fasanmi.

Secondly, and more importantly, this was an engagement that had given me joy and satisfaction since I took it up. In fact, as I have said earlier, it had become such a pivotal part of me that I took the journal practically everywhere. But then, out of the blues, I took the decision to quit – much to the consternation of the entire PSN leadership. No one thought I could do without editing the journal, since I appeared to be addicted to it.

Chief Fasanmi was, expectedly, the most rattled by my unexpected decision. Indeed, so flabbergasted was he that he initially took it as a

THE BIRTH OF PHARMANEWS(Excerpts from “MY LIFE AND PHARMANEWS” by Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi)

practical joke or more precisely a whimsical urge that would soon fade away as mysteriously as it had come. When he saw that I was serious, however, he tried to persuade me to reconsider the decision but I couldn’t be persuaded. The Deputy President, Lawrence Anyafulu, also pleaded with me, but I remained unmoved – something quite unusual of me.

Stronger ContractionsShortly after, in my place of

work, a greater storm began to gather. I already mentioned that it was Pharm. Ralph Mbagwu (RM), the manager of the pharmaceutical department of R.T. Briscoe Pharmaceuticals, who had specifically invited me to join the company because he believed in my ability to stabilise the department which had been experiencing a high turnover of pharmacists. And as I mentioned in the previous chapter, under him, I was able to attend various programmes of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) on sales, marketing, accounting and general management.

As time went on, however, I observed that he refused to give me the opportunity of visiting our overseas principals in Denmark, Sweden, France, Italy and USA. Interestingly, on a number of occasions, he mentioned that I might visit Norwich Pharmaceuticals Inc. in New York. In fact, Pharm. Bade Adeniji, the national sales manager, used to joke with me on RM’s promise of going to Norwich. Occasionally, RM would say, “Ifeanyi, if it becomes necessary, you just hop into the plane and go to New York.”

Before now, I hadn’t paid much attention to these shenanigans of my boss, but in this year, 1978, which had already begun to prove to be a momentous year in my life, things took a totally different turn.

went ahead to apply for the course, which was to hold between June and July, and I received a reply that I had been accepted. What was left for me, therefore, was to meet the huge financial obligations, which comprised tuition and boarding expenses, as well as my flight ticket. The question that should naturally spring up in anyone’s mind is, why did I apply for a programme that was going to cost so much without having any means of financing it? (Such overseas courses were usually sponsored by the employer).

All I can say in hindsight is that I was merely being propelled – and the very next step I took clearly confirms this. In a rather strange move, I wrote back to the organisers of the programme that I had no money to pay the tuition and needed their support. I wrote several letters, until I received a positive response that the institute had waived the tuition for me, which greatly gladdened me.

Then I did something unusual. I wrote again to the institute to appreciate the grant for my tuition and also asked that my boarding expenses be granted also. After several desperate reminders, this request was also granted. I wrote so many letters that when I eventually met Ms Carole Samworth, the registrar, personally, she confessed to me that nobody had bombarded her with so many letters as I did.

It was at this point that I presented my plan to my boss, making sure to emphasise that all expenses had been taken care of, except for my ticket and that it was an opportunity to visit Norwich in New York. What I needed from the company was the air ticket and time. However, for reasons which I could not understand, my boss wasn’t willing to let me go for the course. He told me the company didn’t have the money for my fare.

I eventually purchased the

KLM ticket for Lagos-Amsterdam-Boston-Amsterdam–Lagos, which cost me N560.00 at that time. The same ticket costs about N700, 000.00 today. Thereafter, I went back to my boss to inform him that I had procured my ticket and I only needed time off. His response again was in the negative. He told me that the time that I proposed to be away would be unfavourable for the company due to pressure of work.

Failed PacifiersSince it wasn’t natural for me

to have a confrontation with my superior, I decided to take some congenial steps to make my boss grant me permission to attend the programme. The first step was to appeal to him to convert the period I would be absent to my annual leave, which was four weeks, and the remaining two weeks deducted from my leave for 1979. My boss again rejected my plea, saying that I wasn’t entitled to go on leave until October.

The next step I took was to reach out to a relative of my boss who was in another department of our company. I explained my predicament to him and requested him to persuade my boss to grant me permission to attend the programme. After some days, I received a letter from the company, saying my request had been granted and that I was free to attend the programme without bothering about the additional two weeks.

With heartfelt gratitude for this breakthrough, I was soon on my way to the venue of the marketing training.

The Final StrawMy trip to the United States

turned out to be a worthwhile experience in every way. Not only did the training prove to be thoroughly enlightening and empowering, I also had a great time visiting relations and friends. The period gave me the opportunity to travel with Christopher Erinne (a much younger brother of the late Daniel Erinne) for the wedding of his elder brother, Edwin, in Mississippi. When it was time for me to return to Nigeria, I was filled with a deep feeling of renewal and rejuvenation, as well as a heightened understanding of the dynamics of effective and strategic marketing.

When I eventually presented myself at R.T. Briscoe, I was greeted with palpable excitement by virtually all the staff, but not so with my boss. It then became obvious to me that our relationship was no longer cordial.

Indeed, to describe my experience following my return from the overseas training as an anti-climax would be an understatement. As I mentioned above, with the comprehensive exposure I had received from the training, I had felt a reawakening within me in all areas of marketing – and I had been so eager to begin to implement the ideas that I had acquired to advance my performance. But the environment was no longer conducive. And so, instead of bustling about, executing ideas and strategies, I found myself in one of the darkest moments of my life. Thus, what should have become a period of accomplishments for me became a period of confusion and depression.

(Continues next edition)

A friend and colleague of mine, Douglas Egbuonu, who was the marketing manager of Pfizer Products Ltd, introduced to me a six-week training programme on marketing management of the International Marketing Institute (IMI) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Douglas spoke highly of the potential benefits of this programme and I soon developed a great deal of interest in it.

Two other considerations fired up my interest in this programme. One was that I considered it a good opportunity for me to visit the US for the first time, having always known it as “God’s own country”. The other was that I saw it as a good opportunity to visit Norwich in New York, which RM had often promised me.

So, without hesitation, I

The “labour contractions” for the birth of Pharmanews, as I termed it in the previous chapter, actually began in 1978, when I decided to resign as the editor-in-chief of the PSN journal. Well, as much as one may be astonished by this decision of mine – considering how passionate I had been for the publication – I believe that this astonishment will be sufficiently tempered by the preamble I already provided at the beginning of this chapter, as to the wonders preceding the birth of an idea or of a child.



8

}

}Heroes of HealthcareLeading cardiologist at epicentre of

America’s COVID-19 pandemicBy Solomon Ojigbo


As the world continues to grapple with the global health pandemic

of COVID-19, it is fitting to recognise some of the healthcare workers at the frontline (first responders) in the emergency response against what is probably the greatest public health crisis of our generation. One of such medical heroes working at the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic in the US (New York) is Dr Olakunle Akinboboye, a professor of cardiology at Cornell University and medical director of Laurelton Heart Specialist Hospital (Queens Heart Institute), and Strong Health Medical Centre, Rosedale, New York, USA.

Akinboboye is one of the top experts in nuclear cardiology in the state of New York. With almost four decades’ experience in cardiac imaging, clinical hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes and sleep medicine, he is one of best hands available to COVID-19 patients with underlying health conditions like cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, which makes them have the highest risk of death.

Before the coronavirus outbreak, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) constituted the most predominant public health concern in the western world. CVDs are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels and include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease and other heart conditions. They were responsible for the deaths of an estimated 17.9 million people each year, making them the leading cause of death globally.

In 2017, Akinboboye made history when he became the first black medical doctor to chair the Cardiovascular Disease Board of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). As the head of the 12-member board he is responsible for the periodic knowledge assessment and certifying all practising cardiologists in the US. Prior to this appointment, Akinboboye served as chair of the clinical trials committee of the organisation. He also served on the International Board of governors of the American College of Cardiology, as the liaison officer for Africa.

and also a Master’s degree in Public Health from the same school. He has, to his credit, over 100 scientific publications in the fields of hypertension, diabetes and heart imaging.

Professional medical association

Akinboboye has served on the International Board of Governors of the American College of Cardiology from 1997 to 2000. He became the 14th national president of the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC) which was established in 1974 to focus on the adverse impact of cardiovascular disease on African Americans. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. His other memberships include: American Heart Association, International Society of Hypertension in Blacks, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, Society of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, Association of Black Cardiologists, Certification Board of Nuclear Cardiology.

Awards and recognitionsAkinboboye is a recipient

of many awards and recognitions. In 2004 and 2005, he served as an invited expert on interpretation of challenging cases in nuclear cardiology at the annual scientific meeting of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology. From 2006 to 2014, he was consistently selected by Castle Connolly, a leading yearly publication of distinguished US doctors in New York, Chicago and Florida regions, in its prestigious Top Doctors Award: New York Metro Area. He was also selected by the Network Journal as one of the best black doctors in the New York State and cities around New York in February 2005.

Akinboboye was also cited as one of the best cardiology specialists by another New York magazine in 2006, 2007, and 2008. He received an award from the Association of Black Cardiologists for his dedicated service as a board member from 1999 to 2005. He also received

Background and educationBorn in 1961, Akinboboye is

a native of Ondo State, Nigeria. He was influenced early in life to be a medical doctor by doctors in his family - particularly his uncle, who was a gynaecologist; and his elder brother who is a physician. Akinboboye studied Medicine at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, where he received his medical degree (MBBS) in 1984. He later moved to the US where he finished his internal medicine residency and part of his cardiology fellowship at the Nassau County Medical Centre, State University of New York, at Stony Brook.

He went on to Columbia University and completed another fellowship with a dedicated two-year training in nuclear cardiology and advanced echocardiolography. He became an associate professor of clinical medicine at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York.

Akinboboye has the unique distinction of earning, in addition to his degrees in Medicine, an MBA from Columbia University

COVID-19 IS

HIGHLY CONTAGIOUSSTAY SAFE TO STOP

THE SPREAD

an award for “exemplary professional services and outstanding contributions to cardiovascular medicine” while serving as president of the Ibadan College of Medicine Alumni Association, North America, from 2004 to 2005.

Akinboboye is passionate about training and mentoring young physicians and cardiologists. He received a humanitarian award from the College of Medicine at University of Ibadan in Nigeria in 2005 for his ongoing efforts to spread expertise in the techniques of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in Nigeria. He has trained several generations of fellows in cardiology at New York Presbyterian Medical Centre, State University of New York at Stony Brook, and New York Hospital Queens.

Akinboboye has received grants from the US government through the National Institute of Health, and also from the American Heart Association, in recognition of his outstanding expertise and skills as a medical researcher and physician.

Olakunle Akinboboye




}

}PANS Focus High-handedness, anxiety fuelling mass failures in pharmacy schools – PANS, UNIBEN President

By Adebayo Oladejo

In this exclusive interview with Pharmanews, Lucky Isioma Nwabueze, a 500-Level Pharmacy Student and 44th president, Pharmaceutical Association of Nigeria Students (PANS), University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, speaks on the highpoints of his administration. He also bares his mind on the recent

mass failure in schools of pharmacy in the country, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. Excerpts:

Lucky Isioma Nwabueze

Has Pharmacy always been your dream course?

I had always had the dream of becoming a doctor right from childhood, although I wasn’t even sure of what type of doctor I would love to be since I couldn’t withstand the sight of blood. So strong was my determination that I was willing to spend extra time at home as I wasn’t very lucky with JAMB and my mantra was “doctor or nothing”.

During my JAMB years, I never knew there was a degree called Doctor of Pharmacy. However, after spending almost five years at home, I was exposed to the wonderful idea of Pharmacy by my elder brother, and immediately, I developed the ambition of becoming a pharmacist. Eventually, I was admitted in 2015 to study Pharmacy at the University of Benin.

Getting to learn about the Pharm.D programme offer in my preferred institution and also learning that the Pharm.D degree qualifies me to be a doctor without having to bear the gruesome sight of blood, was another level of excitement for me. It came to me as a fulfilment of my dream and I couldn’t be grateful enough for the privilege.

So, looking back at my childhood aspirations I can boldly say that God wanted me to be a doctor, but it took me almost five years to realise that I would be a doctor of pharmacy

and not the physician I thought it would be. Studying Pharmacy at the University of Benin, to me, is a dream come true and I can’t wish for any other profession.

and I could remember leading the campaign for Pharm. (Dr) Lauretta Obakpolor from the junior class. I participated in her campaign and was extremely excited when she

emerged victorious in that election. My exposure to politics then

developed a very strong interest in politics in me and also played a major role in motivating me. This interest and motivation saw me representing my faculty in various ad-hoc committees, running for the position of public relations officer in my faculty, and eventually running for the presidency in a keenly contested election. I strongly believe that the essence of leadership in PANS is to focus on the total welfare of all the PANSITES; hence, my campaign mantra was “shifting focus from PANS to the PANSITES”.

What aspects of your responsibilities as president do you consider particularly challenging, and what have been your achievements so far?

Leadership, in general, is challenging and hence anyone ready to occupy a leadership position should be ready for the challenges and criticisms that come with the office. In attempting to shift focus from PANS to the PANSITES, I have come to realise that the totality of the welfare of the students should be my utmost concern. I have the responsibility of ensuring that the voices of my colleagues are heard in the right quarters; as well providing them with the basic comforts and amenities that will contribute favourably to their wellbeing.

Getting to acquire these amenities is really capital intensive, and as an association that is dependent largely on

W h a t were your motivations f o r c o n t e s t i n g for the post of PANS president?

I got into p h a r m a c y school at a time when the faculty was a major player in the political sphere of the Students U n i o n Government. The faculty had a female presidential c a n d i d a t e and she happened to be the second f e m a l e c o n t e n d e r of all time in the union. I saw her campaign as a fight for the p ro f e s s i o n ,





On behalf of the entire membership of the Pharmaceutical Society

of Nigeria, I wish to congratulate the Pharmanews family for 41 years of prodigious work and impact.

You pioneered pharmaceutical journalism and have remained in the forefront. It is rare to see organisations in Nigeria stand the test of time but Pharmanews has been around, informing and educating us with the best of quality healthcare

Thank you for promoting Pharmacy and pharmacists - Ohuabunwa

publications. With your infectious sincerity and commitment to top-notch service, you can only garner the deserved recognition.

Thank you, Pharmanews, for always using your platform to put pharmacy and pharmacists in the spotlight and for good reasons. Congratulations.

- Pharm. (Mazi) Sam Ohuabunwa, OFR, MON, NPOM, FPSN

Pharmanews represents consistency, quality and professionalism - Drugfield

Drugfield Pharmaceuticals Ltd felicitates with the entire management

and staff of Pharmanews as you celebrate another year of uninterrupted monthly publication. As a leading pharmaceutical manufacturing company in Nigeria, Drugfield’s partnership with Pharmanews spans over 26 years, with our company being featured in several editions as guest interviews, news, articles, as well as product adverts of some

of key brands.The contributions of

Pharmanews in the past four decades to pharmacy profession and medical practice are what makes you stand out, not only for your consistency, but also the quality and professionalism in the delivery of your services to the satisfaction of your clients.

The entire Drugfield family is proud of you and wishes you many more years of uninterrupted publication. - Management, Drugfield Pharmaceuticals Limited

A big congratulations to a living pharmacy legend for his unwavering

determination in making history while ensuring an unbroken service delivery in

On behalf of the Management and Staff of the National Institute

for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), permit me to congratulate you, on the 41st Anniversary of Pharmanews. Pharmnews, which started with its maiden edition in May 1979, has grown over the years to become a leading health publication, surmounting myriads of challenges. This is a testament of your commitment, dedication, honesty and consistency.

Pharmanews succeeds through commitment, dedication, honesty - Adigwe

At NIPRD, we promise to remain committed to working with you, particularly with respect to providing relevant data that will help in improving access to healthcare for Nigerians. While congratulating you once again on this milestone, please accept the assurances of my highest regard for your person and your office.

Dr Obi Peter Adigwe,Director General/Chief

Executive OfficerNational Institute for

Pharmaceutical Research & Development (NIPRD)

On behalf of the entire membership of the Board of Fellows, PSN,

we heartily congratulate you as you attain the 41st year of ensuring a continuous publication of Pharmanews, a global health journal. We can also attest to the enormous growth in the material content of the publication which serves to update medicinal knowledge, pharmaceutical and natural product development,

Pharmanews is second to none - BOF-PSN

promotion of pharmaceutical events, etc.

Your passion to deliver the beauty of your God-given gift of knowledge through this publication of PHARMANEWS is second to none.

We again congratulate you in your service to Pharmacy and pharmacists and to the healthcare industry as a whole. We wish you the best in health and a continuous growth and development of Pharmanews.

Prof. M.N. Femi-Oyewo - Board of Fellows, PSN

Congrats to a living legend –MacJob

Pharmanews, the flagship of pharmaceutical journalism. I wish you many more years of glory in Jesus’ name.

-- Pharm.Oladipo MacJob

Pharmanews, Nigeria’s undisputed flagship of pharmaceutical journalism – May and Baker

I write to congratulate the management and staff of Pharmanews on the 41st

anniversary of the publication. In these 41 years, Pharmanews has become the undisputed flagship of pharmaceutical journalism in Nigeria and a

leading voice in the healthcare industry.

I wish you many more years of successful publishing.

Congratulations.Yours faithfully.

For: May & Baker Nigeria Plc

The Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria

(AHAPN) wishes to felicitate with the multi award winning newsmagazine of our time, Pharmanews Ltd on the occasion of your 41 years of uninterrupted monthly publication.

We at AHAPN are proud of the immense contributions of Pharmanews Magazine to the growth and development of the healthcare sector in Nigeria and we are glad to be a part of

We are proud of Pharmanews - AHAPN

your success story.AHAPN wishes you many

more years of uninterrupted service to humanity.

Congratulations.For AHAPN National,

Dr Kingsley Chiedu Amibor PharmD., MPH, FPCPharm

National Chairman, AHAPN

Dr Hafiz Ola Akande PharmD.

National Secretary, AHAPN

The management and staff of Shalina Healthcare join the entire health industry

and beyond in celebrating Pharmanews on this momentous achievement of 41 years of astute pharmaceutical journalism.

We are full of admiration for your hard work and dedication to achieve 41

A celebration of astute pharmaceutical journalism - Shalina

years of uninterrupted monthly publication that has made you the largest health periodical.

As we applaud your past and present achievements, we are confident it will further provide your entire organisation the strongest stimulus for many more future endeavours. - Shalina Management.

For 41 years, Pharmanews educated and equipped us to become better

health professionals. Wishing pharmanews the grace to

Keep up the good work - Kareemmove from strength to strength. Congratulations to Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi and the entire team. Keep up the good work. -Pharm. Sesan Kareem

In 1979, Pharm. Ifeanyi Atueyi, FPSN, veered off the orbit, into an industry (publishing), with

very a high mortality rate. Here, he blazed a trail in pharmacy practice to found Pharmanews. The debut edition, made it to the top.

Success is never begotten by happenchance. Thus, for 41 years, 24/7, the management of Pharmanews remained on her toes, strategising on the sustainability of her leadership position.

Pharmanews, a trailblazer - MordiAt Pharmanews, Atueyi, built

“a world of his own”, where he exudes uncommon peace of mind, as he goes about the Pharmanews business.

Sir, bravo, continue to soar higher and higher.

CONGRATULATIONS.

Pharm. Chiedu Mordi (Esq), FPSN, FNIM

Immediate past Chairman,Board of Fellows (PSN)

}

}Goodwill Messages





Disease of the Month }

}

Asthma is described as a respiratory condition marked by attacks of spasm

in the bronchi of the lungs, causing difficulty in breathing. It is usually connected to allergic reaction or other forms of hypersensitivity.

Asthma (from the Greek word ásthma, “panting”) by definition is a disorder that causes the airways of the lungs to swell and narrow, leading to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. When an asthma attack occurs, the muscles surrounding the airways become tight and the lining of the air passages swells. This reduces the amount of air that can pass by. In sensitive people, asthma symptoms can be triggered by breathing in allergy-causing substances (called allergens or triggers).

In a research titled, “Unmet needs in asthma treatment in a resource-limited setting: Findings from the survey of adult asthma patients and their physician in Nigeria,” Olufemi Olumuyiwa Desalu, a professor in the Department of Medicine, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, gave some insights into the challenge of managing asthma in the country.

Desalu argued that about 50 years ago, asthma was uncommon in Nigeria. He added however that recent reports from different parts of Nigeria have shown a prevalence of adolescent and adult asthma in excess of 10 per cent, as well as a rising trend in the prevalence of asthma. He attributes the increase in the burden of asthma to environmental factors, such as

Asthma management and treatment options

urbanisation, industrialisation and adoption of western lifestyle

The Pan African Medical Journal recently published a scientific paper on “Challenges in the Management of Bronchial Asthma among Adults in Nigeria: A Systematic Review.” In the paper, it was asserted that asthma management goes beyond treating patients in acute attack because the skill and competence of long term care is lacking in most doctors and this fact needs to be emphasised and addressed to improve the care.

Another reason is lack of consultation time for asthma educators or nurses with an interest in asthma, especially when the physicians are running very busy clinics. Lack of support group may also have contributed to low level

of asthma education as they are known to offer additional patient support.

Further challenges encountered in asthma management in places like Nigeria include: lack of standard diagnostic equipment such as peak flow meters, and spirometers; skin allergy tests test/allergen specific IgE estimation; and equipment for exhaled nitric oxide. Histamine/methacholine challenge tests are also lacking.

In a review of 68 tertiary hospitals in Nigeria, 26 (38.2 per cent) had peak expiratory flow rate meter in the emergency rooms, 20 hospitals (29.4 per cent had spirometer; only 10 of the 68 hospitals reviewed (14.7 per cent) had skin allergy test facilities. This

will lead us into detailed discussion about asthma.

Asthma attackAn asthma “attack” or episode

is a time of increased asthma symptoms. The symptoms can be mild or severe. Anyone can have a severe attack, even a person with mild asthma. The attack can start suddenly or slowly. Sometimes a mild attack will seem to go away, but will come back a few hours later, and the second attack will be much worse than the first. Severe asthma symptoms need medical care right away.

As said before, during an asthma attack, the lining of the airways in the lungs swells. The muscles around the airways tighten and make the airways narrower. All of these changes in the lungs block the flow of air, making it hard to breathe. Knowing what is happening in the lungs during an asthma attack will help you to know why it often takes more than one medicine to treat the disease.

What triggers asthma attacks?

The more industrialised a place is, the higher the prevalence of asthma, because areas with industrial/air pollution trigger asthma. Also, the more developed a place is, the more likely they would have a higher rate of asthma cases. For example, Lagos would be expected to have a higher rate of asthma cases than, say, a village. Also, it is believed that in cleaner




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continued from page 11

Disease of the Month

environments, people are less likely to be exposed to some germs and particles that will stimulate it.

Effluents from cars and industries have also been associated with asthma. Other factors, including heredity and the person’s predisposition to allergies and certain conditions, can equally trigger an attack. For example, a person could be sensitive to infections, virus, bacteria, cigarette smoke, or certain types of food, drugs, a change in weather from cold to hot and vice versa. Some can also react to psychological factors.

What are the symptoms of asthma?

The most common symptom is wheezing. This is a scratchy or whistling sound when you breathe. Other symptoms include:

Shortness of breathChest tightness or painChronic coughingTrouble sleeping due to

coughing or wheezing

Asthma symptoms, also called asthma flare-ups or asthma attacks, are often caused by allergies and exposure to allergens such as pet dander, dust mites, pollen or mould. Non-allergic triggers include smoke, pollution or cold air or changes in weather. Asthma symptoms may be worse during exercise, when you have a cold or during times of high stress.

Children with asthma may show the same symptoms as adults with asthma: coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. In some children, chronic cough may be the only symptom.

If your child has one or more of these common symptoms, make an appointment with an allergist / immunologist:

Coughing that is constant or that is made worse by viral infections, happens while your child is asleep, or is triggered by exercise and cold air

Wheezing or whistling sound when your child exhales

Shortness of breath or rapid breathing, which may be associated with exercise

Chest tightness (a young child may say that his chest “hurts” or “feels funny”)

Fatigue (your child may slow down or stop playing)

Problems feeding or grunting during feeding (infants)

Avoiding sports or social activities

Problems sleeping due to coughing or difficulty breathing

Patterns in asthma symptoms are important and can help your doctor make a diagnosis. Pay attention to when symptoms occur:

At night or early morningDuring or after exerciseDuring certain seasonsAfter laughing or cryingWhen exposed to common

asthma triggers

How is asthma diagnosed?An allergist diagnoses asthma

by taking a thorough medical history and performing breathing tests to measure how well your lungs work. One of these tests is called spirometry. You will take a deep breath and blow into a sensor to measure the amount of air your lungs can hold and the speed of the air you inhale or exhale. This test diagnoses asthma severity and measures how well treatment is working.

Many people with asthma also have allergies, so your doctor may perform allergy testing. Treating the underlying allergic triggers for your asthma will help you avoid asthma symptoms.

How important is early detection and treatment?

It is very important because if

FoodsSulphites and sulphating agents

in foods (found in dried fruits, prepared potatoes, wine, bottled lemon or lime juice, and shrimp), and diagnosed food allergens (such as milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish) have been found to trigger asthma.

How to control itWear a medic-alert bracelet

that identifies your food allergiesCarry injectable epinephrine

to provide first aid during an emergency allergic reaction, see your doctor for more information about this. Did you know children can carry their asthma and allergy medications while at school?

Read food labels closely to avoid eating hidden triggers

PollenPollen are tiny particles

produced by trees, grasses, weeds, and flowers. They are carried on the wind or by insects, and can cause asthma attacks. Air pollution can also cause asthma attacks.


properly. How can one prevent or

control triggers?Here are some common

triggers and the actions you can take to control them. Controlling your triggers will help you have fewer asthma symptoms and make your asthma treatment work better.

not treated early, asthma could damage the lungs. I n f l a m m a t i o n means there is redness and swelling in the lungs. If the inflammation is not controlled, it could lead to what is called the remodelling of the airway. The airway could be damaged permanently if the problem is not addressed




Pharmanews May 2020 Vol. 42 No. 5 15Disease of the Month


one-third of all women. Symptoms may be most severe between weeks 29 and 36 (about the seventh to the ninth month) of pregnancy. Asthma symptoms such as coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, and shortness of breath can keep your baby from getting enough oxygen to grow well. A good rule of thumb to remember is, if you are feeling short of breath, your baby will be feeling it much more.

If your asthma isn’t under control, your baby could be less healthy and smaller when born, or could even be born too early. But these things don’t need to happen because of asthma. Asthma can be controlled so that it doesn’t hurt your baby or you. Work with your doctor and other health care providers. Go over your Asthma Action Plan to make sure it is right for you as your baby grows.

Keep your appointments.

How to control itUse air conditioning, if

possible, during seasons when pollen is highest.

Keep windows closed during seasons when pollen is highest.

Consider staying indoors during the middle of the day and afternoon when the pollen count is highest.

If you are outside when the pollen count is high, it might help if you wash your hair before you go to bed.

Check the air indexes, and avoid going outdoors when the pollution or pollen counts are high.

Avoid the following indoor/outdoor pollutants and irritants:

Wood-burning stoves or fireplaces

Unvented gas stoves or heatersOther irritants (e.g., perfumes,

cleaning agents, sprays)Volatile organic compounds

(VOCs) such as new carpeting, particle board, painting

Newly manufactured materials found in floor, wall, and ceiling coverings and furniture have strong odours. Odours from glues, paints, or treatment processes give off chemical irritants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This is called off-gassing.

Air out new materials in areas with plenty of ventilation

Maintain floor, wall and ceiling coverings properly

Asthma and pregnancyDuring pregnancy, asthma

symptoms will worsen for about

Write down all the questions you have before each visit. It helps you remember to ask them all.

Tell your doctor about any wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath that you have.

Tell your doctor if you notice any changes in your asthma or breathing patterns

Tell your doctor any concerns you have about your medicines or the other parts of your Asthma Action Plan.

Make sure you know what your doctor or asthma educator wants you to do before you leave the office.

Take your medicines.Follow the directions exactly

in your Asthma Action Plan about when to take your asthma medicines and how much of each medicine to take.

Don’t stop taking your asthma

medicines unless your doctor tells you to.

Talk to your doctor before you take ANY new medicines, herbal treatments or over-the-counter drugs (those that you choose yourself at the store, such as headache, cough, or cold medicine).

Remember: Using asthma medicine during pregnancy is much safer than letting your asthma get out of control. Such asthma medicines as inhaled beta-agonists (quick relief medicines like Maxair or Proventil), cromolyn (medicines that prevent triggers from causing reactions in your lungs, like Intal), and inhaled steroids (long-term controller medicines like Flovent) are safe for pregnant women when you take them as directed by your doctor.

Watch your asthma and treat symptoms fast.

Pregnancy is a time of change. Your asthma can get worse, better, or stay the same. If this is your first pregnancy, there is no way to predict what will happen with your asthma. If you have been pregnant before, your asthma is most likely to change—or not change—the same way it did with your last pregnancy. It is very important for you to watch your asthma closely.

Use a peak flow meter each day, if told to by your doctor, so you can see changes in your asthma and act early.

Know how to tell if your asthma is getting worse. Make a list with your doctor or asthma educator of the ways you can tell if your asthma is getting worse.







Disease of the Month

Make an Asthma Action Plan with your doctor for dealing with any sign or symptom that your asthma is getting worse. Make sure you know how to use it, and get a new one if there are changes in your asthma treatment.

Stay away from your asthma triggers.

Your asthma triggers are those things that make your asthma worse. House dust mites or damp places, animals, tobacco smoke, and very cold air are some examples of asthma triggers. You can stay away from some triggers. For other triggers, you can take action to keep them from starting your asthma. See our complete list of triggers and learn about how to avoid or reduce contact with them.

Do not smoke or stay around people who smoke.

Cigarette smoke makes it more likely that you will have asthma episodes.

Smoking during your pregnancy makes it more likely that your baby will be born too early and too small. Your baby is more likely to be sick more often, too.

If babies breathe in other people’s smoke, the babies’ lungs will not grow and work as well as they should. The baby is likely to have more colds and earaches.

When babies live with people who smoke, they have a greater chance of developing asthma.

If you smoke, now is the time to stop! Your health care provider will help you. Ask about it now, and find more on second-hand smoke and quitting.

Asthma and exerciseAnyone exercising hard

enough may have shortness of breath. But when this happens sooner than expected, or happens along with other symptoms such as chest tightness, wheezing, or cough, then it may be asthma.

Exercise is a common trigger of asthma. The terms “exercise asthma” or “exercise induced asthma” are often used, but these are some common ways that exercise makes asthma worse:

Exercise sometimes makes asthma symptoms worse in someone who does not usually need asthma medications (Intermittent Asthma).

No matter which way it happens, breathing may be even harder when the air is colder and drier. At rest, breathing through the nose warms and humidifies (moistens) the air taken in. During exercise, breathing faster through the mouth lets air that is colder and drier than usual into the lungs. The colder and drier air can trigger symptoms like coughing and wheezing.

Once the airways are triggered the airway lining may begin to swell (inflammation), smooth muscle bands around the airway can tighten (bronchospasm), and extra mucus can be made. The swelling, tightened muscle bands, and extra mucus can partially block the airways. This makes it harder to get air in and out of the lungs. The exact way this happens may be different in traditional asthma compared to Exercise Induced Airway Narrowing.

Activities like long-distance running, hockey, and cross-country skiing are more likely to trigger symptoms because they are held in cold temperatures or have the player working hard for longer amounts of time. Activities like

walking and swimming are less likely to trigger symptoms because players use short bursts of action mixed with breaks, or are done in warmer and more humid places.

How to prevent symptoms

during exerciseThere are things that can be

done to help prevent symptoms with exercise. Start with a warm up period of light activity before any harder exercise. Avoid exercising in cold and dry air. Avoid exercise when other triggers, such as respiratory infections or smoke, can cause more trouble breathing.

The goal is to be able to exercise without symptoms. Most people with asthma can take part fully in sports or be as active as they would like to be. They need to work with their health care provider and follow their Asthma Action Plan to be able to do this.

What are the treatment options for asthma?

There is no cure for asthma, but symptoms can be controlled with effective asthma treatment and management. This involves taking your medications as directed and learning to avoid triggers that cause your asthma symptoms. Your allergist will prescribe the best medications for your condition and provide you with specific instructions for using them.

Controller medications are taken daily and include inhaled corticosteroids (fluticasone (Flovent Diskus, Flovent HFA), budesonide (Pulmicort Flexhaler), mometasone (Asmanex), ciclesonide (Alvesco), flunisolide (Aerobid), beclomethasone (Qvar) and others).

Combination inhalers contain an inhaled corticosteroid plus a long-acting beta-agonist (LABA). LABAs are symptom-controllers that are helpful in opening your airways. However, in certain people they may carry some risks. LABAs should never be prescribed as the sole therapy for asthma. Current recommendations are for them to be used only along with inhaled corticosteroids. Combination medications include fluticasone and salmeterol (Advair Diskus, Advair HFA), budesonide and formoterol (Symbicort), and mometasone and formoterol (Dulera).

Leukotriene modifiers are oral medications that include montelukast (Singulair), zafirlukast (Accolate) and zileuton (Zyflo, Zyflo CR).

Quick-relief or rescue medications are used to quickly relax and open the airways and relieve symptoms during an asthma flare-up, or are taken before exercising if prescribed. These include: short-acting beta-agonists. These inhaled bronchodilator (brong-koh-

DIE-lay-tur) medications include albuterol (ProAir HFA, Ventolin HFA, others), levalbuterol (Xopenex HFA) and pirbuterol (Maxair Autohaler). Quick-relief medications do not take the place of controller medications. If you rely on rescue relief more than twice a week, it is time to see your allergist.

Oral and intravenous corticosteroids may be required for acute asthma flare-ups or for severe symptoms. Examples include prednisone and methylprednisolone. They can cause serious side effects if used on a long term basis.

People with asthma are at risk of developing complications from respiratory infections such as influenza and pneumonia. That is why it is important for asthma sufferers, especially adults, to get vaccinated annually.

With proper treatment and an asthma management plan, you can minimize your symptoms and enjoy a better quality of life.

What are the types of management available for asthma patients?

There are several types. A clean environment is important and asthma occurs because the child is reacting to something. So, the first method is what is called environment manipulation, where those things the child reacts to are removed from the environment. For example, a child with asthma shouldn’t be exposed to a room with rugs because of the particles and house dust in the rug. A carpet is more advisable or something that is cleaned regularly to be free of dust.

Parents who smoke should also stop smoking in the house because it could trigger asthma attacks. So, it is important to modify the child’s environment, especially if it is not a severe case. Also, generators should not be kept near the windows because of the smoke and heat from it.

Also, an affected child can be treated with drugs. The drugs are two types: the relievers and preventers. The relievers are those that work immediately. They are given to the child to relieve them to help their airways dilate. That’s why it is called relievers to relieve that acute situation. A common drug used is Ventolin, which is in tablet, injection and inhaler forms. Its generic name is Salbutamol. There are other types of drugs for treatment and there is an international treatment guideline that every doctor is supposed to know and follow its guideline. If it is an emergency, doctors use oxygen.

The preventers are usually those that work much later. What they do, as their name suggests, is to prevent asthma attacks. Many of the preventers are long active steroids. These steroids, as well as other anti-

inflammatory drugs, can decrease the symptoms of asthma. Steroids have some side effects when it is taken periodically. Both types – relievers and preventers – cannot be substituted for one. The former relieves the immediate situation so the patient does not die, while the preventers are supposed to be given so that the asthma attack does not happen later. If it is an emergency case, the doctor would have to admit the patient and give oxygen and some injections.

Are there particular ways to manage asthma?

Yes, it depends on the situation. Early detection and proper treatment helps. There is what is called partnership in asthma management. In medicine, we say self-treatment is not good, but this is encouraged in asthma because it helps a lot. So, members of the family must be carried along so that whenever there are any symptoms, they would know how to prescribe the drugs to the child or check the function of their lung and all that. For example, a three-year-old might not be able to use an inhaler, so there is a special device like a pipe, which the inhaler is pressed into and as the child breathes in from the pipe, he inhales the content. Some children are too young to use inhaler because there is a coordinated action of inhalation that the child may not be able to do alone.

Should children with asthma be involved in any form of exercise?

Yes, a child with asthma can be involved in doing exercises and outdoor activities, including football and swimming. That child can even play professional football. What should be prevented are those exercises that are intensive and rigorous and take several minutes longer than necessary without a rest period.

Advice to parents of asthmatics

Parents shouldn’t panic when they are told their child has asthma. Most children, by the age of six, are likely to outgrow asthma or later in life during their teenage years from the age of 13. Up to 90 per cent or nine out of 10 children will outgrow it by the time they become teenagers.

Asthma is a chronic disease, but it usually doesn’t kill people. Deaths resulting from asthma are less than one per cent. But the major problem is that people don’t follow up on treatment, they just go and buy the inhaler and that’s it. The child should be taken to the hospital for regular checkups, say every three to six months. That would help to ensure that the child does not suffer many of the problems resulting from asthma.

Asthma could affect the psychology and even growth of the child if not properly managed. But if managed and treated properly, the child can outgrow it. Again, the parents should comply with the drugs prescribed by the doctors. They should not wait until the child has the symptoms before they give the medications. They should also keep relievers drugs at home.

Report compiled by Temitope Obayendo with additional information from: The Pan African Medical Journal and United State National Library of Medicine; American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology; and Asthma Initiative of Michigan (AIM)





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today. After all, pharmacists are already carrying out tests for malaria, diabetes and others.”

It will be recalled that the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) recently called on governments across the globe to authorise and incorporate the network of pharmacies in their countries as testing centres, following the adoption of evidence-based protocols for the usability of rapid point-of-care tests for COVID-19 in appropriate individuals in the community setting.

The apex pharmacy institution in the world also urged the leadership of nations to acknowledge the roles being played by pharmacists in the current global pandemic, as they are exposed to the risks of the lethal virus without adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) thus called for the provision of PPE for all pharmacists, whether in the

hospital or community.Commending the federal

government on the recent increment in health workers’ salaries, Ohuabunwa said it was a good start, which could be improved upon, noting that the most significant breakthrough was that all healthcare professional groups were involved in the negotiation and that the implementation was equitably done.

“That is what we are fighting for. Healthcare is a team work and all must be taken together. We do not preach equality but equity. We believe that state governments and private sector employers will borrow a leaf from this development”, he noted.

Asked whether he considered the wage increment to be commensurate to the magnitude of risk health workers in the country are exposed to, Ohuabunwa said, “Healthcare professionals know they are in risky professions,

especially when dealing with infectious diseases. So no one can sufficiently compensate them for the risks but this helps to boost their morale.”

Concerning the number of pharmacists among the 40 healthcare workers recently announced by the minister of health to have tested positive for COVID-19, the PSN helmsman said the list had not been made available, saying however that he suspected that some pharmacists would be among them.

On the operation of the 15-man Chinese medical team, recently brought into the country, Ohuabunwa said the

Pharmacists have capacity to conduct COVID-19 tests – Ohuanbunwa

they can advice. We can learn from their experiences and they can help set up the equipment they donated”, he stated.

position of the PSN is that the foreigners should not be allowed to manage COVID-19 patients directly.

“We have enough Nigerian healthcare professionals. But

Pharm. (Mazi) Sam OhuabunwaPSN president

Following the recent approval by the National Universities Commission (NUC) for Trinity

University, Yaba, Lagos to offer Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science and other related courses, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Charles Ayo, has expressed the readiness of the institution to take the training of prospective healthcare professionals to the next level, insisting that the task of providing quality healthcare for the citizenry was too important to be left with the government alone.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Pharmanews, in Lagos, recently, Ayo applauded the commitment of the council members, the board of trustees and the entire management of the university towards ensuring that the right facilities and personnel were put in place to secure the NUC’s approval for the institution to commence training in the new courses.

According to him: “Looking at our Laboratory Science, the Nursing and other related courses that we have, with the dedication of the board of trustees and the entire management team, we discovered that we over-prepared for the approval. We were not even thinking of the College of Medicine or Faculty of Pharmacy; but when the NUC team came, saw the state of our laboratory, they were delighted and declared that with what we had on ground, we could seek for College of Medicine approval.

“We were not even thinking along that line. So that is to tell you the financial commitment of the proprietors that helped to put in place the state of art laboratory and other facilities.”

The vice chancellor disclosed that prior to the visit of the NUC team, the university had gone into a collaboration with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) so as to ensure that students of the institution had

Healthcare can no longer be left to government alone – Trinity Varsity VC

By Moses Dike

access to practical sessions. “We are working on another

one with the Federal Medical Centre, closer to us, just to ensure that our students get the best,” he said.

Ayo who is the immediate past vice-chancellor of Covenant University, Ota, remarked that all over the world, medical tourism is an important source of revenue, stressing that quality healthcare delivery would not only ensure that citizens live well but help as an important source of revenue to the country.

He added that the university with its state-of-the-art laboratory facilities would ensure that its students are well trained to make impeccable diagnoses, noting that, sometimes, wrong diagnosis have been made by health practitioners in the country, leading to the death of patients.

“For instance, a number of those who died of cancer in this country were initially diagnosed as having typhoid. So we are going to help solve a major problem in the health sector,” he said.

Speaking about the long-term projections of the university concerning its medical courses, Ayo said the university has an academic blueprint which has been programmed into phases which would usher in various layers of medical courses within the next couple of years. He maintained, however, that “there is need for adequate planning. We cannot afford to make the mistakes, the public universities are making. It is in our own interest to plan well and things will definitely run according to schedule.”

Ayo, a professor of information technology, revealed that the university had put in place measures to bridge the gap between what the students learn in school and what is practically obtainable in

(I.T) certification relevant to their various disciplines on or before graduation. This, he said, will not only make graduates of the university knowledgeable and employable but will give them an edge over their peers from other universities.

“Besides information technology, Nigeria is surrounded by a number of French speaking countries; yet French language is not made compulsory. Here, at Trinity University, you not only go through a class of French but you will obtain a minimum certification that will make you be able to dialogue in that language,” he added.

Also speaking with Pharmanews at the institution, chairman of the governing board of the university, Pastor Samuel Olatunji, said the proprietors of the institution, Trinity Education and Development Foundation (TEDF), were inspired by over 25 years of towering pedigree and experience in the propagation of sound moral and academic education in Nigeria, which started with huge success in its primary and secondary schools established some 25 years ago.

He said the university is poised to take learning to a whole new level that will make significant contributions to the society.

“From the facilities we have here, there is a determined comprehensive effort to expand the facilities in a short time, in terms of physical structures and others. We have been clear from the start that quality personnel will be crucial.

“We are already working in alliance with LASUTH. We will also be partnering with Federal Medical Centre, not too far from here. And, by the grace of God, that will help us to be more solid in healthcare courses like medicine, nursing and the likes. For us, it’s a call to serve, a call to make distinctive contribution to the society,” he affirmed.

the field. He added that the university

has forged collaborations with various professional bodies and corporate organisations, such that relevant professionals are regularly invited to campus seminars to keep the students abreast of practical sessions in their chosen fields of study.

“Through these interactions, you know the current problems in the society and the students are kept abreast of these problems in the society. So when they are doing their projects, they are really solving societal problems,” he said.

While insisting that lecturers who are employed in the university must have a touch of industry and practical field experience, Ayo noted that this has become necessary so that students can be mentored and directed appropriately, instead of inundating them with just theories.

He also disclosed that the university has put in place mechanisms to ensure that students of the university obtain the required Information Technology

Professor Charles Korede AyoVice Chancellor




The Managing Director, Bond Chemical Industries Limited, Pharm. Remi Omotosho, has

stressed the need for the private sector and privileged individuals to join the government in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, noting that all hands must be on deck to win the battle.

Omotosho said this when Bond, a leading pharmaceutical company in the country, donated medical items, including 4000 alcohol-based hand sanitizers and over 1000 doses of Bonaquine, a 250mg chloroquine phosphate tablets, worth over 3 million naira to the Oyo State government, as part of its support to the government’s efforts in curbing COVID-19 in the state

Presenting the items, Omotosho noted that the company was standing in solidarity with the state government in its quest to curb the spread of the virus and possibly rid the state of the disease, saying the

Support fight against COVID-19, Bond MD urges private sector

- As company donates medical items to Oyo State governmentBy Adebayo Oladejo

spread of COVID-19 had disrupted lives, livelihoods and the economy

in general. “Government cannot do it

without the support of the private sector, groups, citizens and agencies. We cannot afford to feel hopeless and helpless in these uncertain and unprecedented times. So the company will continue to play a vital role in the fight against COVID-19 and will continue to consolidate on the efforts of the state and federal governments to ensure the battle is won,” he said

Speaking in the same vein, Mr Andrew Aina Oladipo, acting national marketing manager, Bond Chemical Industries, stated that the step taken by the company became necessary in view of the rapid spread of the disease in the country.

“The support we are giving is part of our social responsibility as a company, in supporting the government to protect our people against this deadly contagious disease. We commend the laudable effort of the state government in the fight against COVID-19 so far and we hope more can still be done in this regards,” he stated.

Receiving the items from the company on behalf of the executive governor of Oyo State, Engr Seyi Makinde, the Commissioner for Health, Oyo State, Dr Bashir Bello, said that even though there had not been a major outbreak in the state, compared to some states, it was necessary to prepare for any eventuality.

He praised the company for coming forward at a time when the state really needed support, adding that it was encouraging that individuals and corporate bodies were responding to the clarion call by the state, which he noted reflects a collective determination to defeat the pandemic.

The governor further solicited the support of other corporate organisations and well-meaning individuals in preventing the spread of the disease and cushioning its effects on the economy.

In their contributions, the duo of the chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Oyo State Branch, Pharm. Abiodun Ajibade, and the Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Oyo State Ministry of Health, Pharm. Babatunde Lukman Akinwande, described the donation by the company as timely and laudable, adding that that it had become imperative for indigenes of the state to comply strictly with the government’s directives on partial lockdown, aimed at containing the spread of the pandemic in Oyo State and Nigeria at large.

According to the duo, pharmacists in the state are also at the forefront of battling the spread of the virus with other healthcare providers.

“We have been one of the active professional bodies in the state as we have done series of publicity in the media and even at our different pharmacies. Many of our members have banners in front of their premises. We are one of the first set of professionals to donate hand sanitizers to the state government and we have been doing other important things underground,” Ajibade said.

Other important personalities at the event included, Mr H. T. Salami, director, Admin and Supply, Oyo State Ministry of Health; Dr Adebisi Ayoka, permanent secretary, Ministry of Health, Oyo State; Dr O. M. Lawal, director, Public Health, Oyo State Ministry of Health; Pharm. Femi Olajide, Assistant Sales Manager, West, Institution, Bond Chemical Industries Limited; Mr Ibrahim Adewale, ASM, West; and Mr Oyeniyi Rotolu, among others.

The Managing Director, Bond Chemical Industries Limited, Pharm Remi Omotosho (Left), presenting the items to the Commissioner for Health, Oyo State, Dr Bashir Bello, at the Oyo State Gpovernment Secretariat, Ibadan, Oyo State.

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Kudos on your activities so far in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. Aside from the production of hand sanitizers, what other initiatives have being taken by the faculty to curb the spread of the virus?

I will still want to talk on the production of “Ifetizer”. In response to the recent cases of coronavirus in the country, the Faculty of Pharmacy came up with a proactive measure to manufacture “Ifetizer”, our own brand of hand sanitizer. We made it available during the induction ceremony of our final year students on 17 March 2020, where we expected a large crowd to participate in the induction.

I was convinced that one little way we could contribute to the prevention of the spread of this coronavirus infection was to initiate the production of “Ifetizer” to be used during the ceremony. We were able to achieve this objective by making sure that fund was made available by myself as the dean, and we were able to produce limited quantities that were used by all the people that attended the programme to sanitise their hands, especially before they were allowed to enter the venue.

We also used the opportunity of the induction ceremony to sensitise the public on the precautionary measures to be taken in preventing the spread of the COVID-19. We equally distributed free samples of 90ml bottle of “Ifetizer” to the dignitaries in attendance. It is instructive to note that this sensitisation and proactive measure took place exactly one week before the index case arrived Nigeria.

We have since scaled up production for distribution to the larger community, on demand, especially because hand sanitizer was becoming a scarce commodity since the index case in Nigeria was reported and products of dubious quality started appearing. The university management has secured and distributed certain quantities of 250ml bottles of Ifetizer produced by the faculty. We are currently working on how we can register the sanitizer and a handwash product for commercial scale production.

I am also a member of the University Committee on Covid-19, that is chaired by the Provost of College of Health Sciences. The committee has been involved in the sensitisation of the university community and the public on COVID-19.

It’s obvious that the closure of schools, as necessitated by the outbreak, has affected the academic calendar in some ways. How has the faculty been reaching out to students during this period?

OAU announced the closure of the university on 20 March 2020, effective from Monday, 23

March 2020, in order to prevent further spread of COVID-19. Some lecturers have been interacting with some of the students and I personally have been reaching out to the students through their class representatives and the PANS president, to encourage them to continue to read their books and stay safe since we are yet to commence online learning with

COVID-19: OAU pharmacy faculty conducting research on antiviral agents of natural products - Akanmu


Prof. M. A. Akanmu is the dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife. In this exclusive interview with Pharmanews, he reveals the steps being taken by the faculty in

researching into the discovery and design of potential antiviral agents from natural products, as well as re-purposing of existing drugs, based on current knowledge on the mode of entry and replication of COVID-19. Excerpts:

regular students of the institution.I would like to state that most

schools that have closed down due to this COVID-19 are making efforts to find stop-gap solutions to continue teaching, but the quality of learning depends greatly on the level and quality of digital access, which we all know is a major problem in this environment.

It should be noted that the best response from any university in this environment at this period is mere “emergency remote teaching”, as opposed to well-organised and validated online teaching methods, and, at its best, has limited benefits, since it cannot be substituted for laboratory practicals and externship training in relation to pharmacy training.

From the side of students as learners, some universities in South Africa for instance, are even still in the process of partnering with government and the private sector to provide access to quality internet service and raise fund to procure laptops to loan to students. At the faculty here, our postgraduate students still have limited access to the laboratories. However, they can still do a lot of work remotely with open communication with their research supervisors.

Indeed, OAU and the entire Nigerian university system would have to review the current experience, document lessons learnt and strengthen the system to be more resilient to shocks. As it were, we are hoping that this does not drag for too long. At some point, the university will necessarily have to revise its academic calendar, review the situation and take appropriate decisions because, indeed, Pharmacy does not stand alone and cannot function alone as an academic programme.

Is there any research ongoing in the faculty towards developing natural products or vaccines for COVID-19?

We have been working on some natural products that are effective against bacteria and viruses. I have just inaugurated a committee of three young academics to prepare a draft proposal for a faculty research project on discovery and design of potential antiviral agents from natural products and re-purposing of existing drugs, based on current scientific knowledge on the mode of entry and mode of replication of COVID-19.

The small committee was selected based on competence in computer-assisted drug design, previous experience in isolation of antiviral compounds from plant sources as published in peer-reviewed and reputable journals, and specialisation in pharmaceutical microbiology. The proposal will be processed through the statutory Faculty Research Committee with contributions from the entire faculty and with contributions from other collaborators within the larger OAU academic community and beyond. I would like to emphasise that the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede is greatly interested in the proposal and he is well informed about the developments.

With respect to vaccine,

we are not working on the development of vaccines because we don’t have purpose-built infrastructure that is required for research on viruses, with primary concern for biosafety, even though we have experts in this area. For example, one of our young academic staff had some experience on development of vaccine as a postdoc at the Centre for Disease Control in the US as a WHO-TDR Fellow/Visiting Scientist at Infectious Disease Research Institute, and he is collaborating with other researchers.

In what ways is the do all our possible best in making sure that revisions are carried out on various previous lectures they had before the commencement of the new ones when they resume back to school. We will continue to interact with them during this lockdown through their leaders and also make sure we put everything in place to try to encourage them to work very hard to regain the lost time during the lockdown.

What is your advice to students during this period of staying at home?

The students should make sure they are safe and obey the stay-at-home order. Each student is advised to continuously interact with the assigned official adviser and take advantage of the course outline already available to them to guide self-study before formal resumption of teaching. It is hopeful that this will complement what they have learnt before the closure of the university.

present lockdown affecting pharmacy students and what is the plan towards ameliorating this at resumption?

Basically we expect that this lockdown would have affected their academic activities and thus there is need for them to keep their morale high. Based on my interactions with the students through their class representatives and the PANS president, I was informed that the lockdown and the eventual economic effect have really incapacitated them and most of them might not have been able to participate in online classes (if there had been any) because they don’t have the capacity to participate due to the cost of getting data, apart from the current bad network problem and unavailability of power supply in some places. They also said that they would like to have revisions on the previous lectures they had before the university was closed down due to COVID-19 lockdown.

I would like to state that we will

Prof. M. A. Akanmu




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By Pharm. Sesan Kareem

Life is too short to be anything but happy. Forgive quickly, take chances, and give

everything with no regret. Forget the past - with the exception of what you have learnt; and remember that everything in this world happens for a reason. True happiness comes from a peaceful mind filled with love for all and hatred for none.

Forgiveness is a virtue of noble men. But the nobler of the noblest men are those who forgive quickly. This looks simple in the ordinary sense but to be able to forgive quickly is actually difficult. It is difficult in the sense that it takes a matured mind to easily forgive deep hurts, sheer injustice or obnoxious acts done without any concrete reason. The beautiful news is, those who forgive quickly go to bed without worries or bitterness in their heart. They also live longer than their peers because they never give room for hatred in their minds.

We all have the innate ability to forgive quickly. It is a matter of making a firm decision to easily overlook other people’s wrongs and move ahead with our lives. Truly, your life will never remain the same if you forgive quickly. You will discover such inner strength and happiness that only those who forgive quickly enjoy. And your life will be free from bitterness, vexation or grudges.

Forgiveness is a wonderful thing. It ignites love and extinguishes hatred. Robert

frame, it is also human for us to forgive them and wish them well. You never can tell, you may still need their help or forgiveness in the future. “He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself, for everyman has need to be forgiven,” said English historian, Thomas Fuller. The practice of forgiveness remains one of the most important virtues; to err is human, after all.

Life can be truly rewarding, meaningful and beautiful, if we learn to forgive ourselves, forgive others, live in peace and take absolute responsibility for our happiness. Remember, life is too short to be anything but happy - forgive quickly.

ACTION PLAN: I forgive quickly. I release all form of anger, resentment, bitterness or hatred locked in my heart. I now experience peace, joy and love.

AFFIRMATION: I am free. I am blessed and highly favoured.

Muller rightly said, “To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.”

Forgive yourself Too often, we hardly forgive

ourselves for the mistakes that birthed our scars. Too often, we do not want to accept our faults and learn from them. Accept your faults, learn from your mistakes and keep firing, keep reaching and keep striving for your next level. We all make mistakes and that is why we are humans. We are bound to overreact, misjudge, feel anxious or be impatient to life’s issues. But the best decision you can ever make in your best interest is to forgive yourself and move on. Forgive yourself right NOW.

A remarkable number of people spend years blaming themselves, some people go further to punish themselves unjustly, neglect the very essence of life and become an outcast. But this prescription has not worked and cannot work because the first step towards recuperation in any disease is to accept that you are sick and you need treatment. In other words, you must accept your mistakes, forgive yourself and turn your scars to stars. More often than not, mistakes are forgivable, but only if one has the courage to admit them. Those who

discover happiness are those who have learnt to always forgive themselves quickly and also to take to heart a vital lesson from each experience of their lives.

Forgive others Forgiveness is a valuable

virtue of the great. The ability to forgive is one of man’s innate potentials. To overlook others’ wrong, to pardon others’ unfair treatment, is in us as human beings. But it is only the brave that make use of this great virtue. The father of the modern Indian nation, Mahatma Gandhi, once remarked, “The weak can never forgive, forgiveness is the virtue of the strong.”

To experience peace, joy and love in a family, forgiveness is a critical component of family life. We must be quick to forgive our spouses when they make mistakes as we expect them to forgive us quickly. The truth is that we are all trying our best despite our imperfect nature as humans. Forgiveness is also essential in the workplace. We must overlook other people’s wrongs, misjudgement or mistakes at work. We spend most of our time at work and it is important to create and maintain a peaceful environment for optimum performance and productivity.

In our daily life, people will continue to offend us because they are humans. In the same

}Health & Wealth}

For questions or comments, mail or text [email protected]/08072983163

Forgiveness is a virtue of noble men




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Pharmanews fortified for greater services in coming years – Sir Atueyi

Congratulations on the 41st anniversary of Pharmanews. It seems like yesterday when you marked the 40th anniversary of the journal and your 80th birthday with a special ceremony on 1 October, 2019. Why did you consider those particular milestones worth celebrating?

Thank you for bringing up the happy memories of 1 October, last year. If God has given you a healthy life at 80 years, especially in Nigeria, where the average life expectancy is about 55 years, it is something significant. The celebration was an occasion for thanksgiving and celebration with friends, relations and business associates. That was the second time I celebrated my birthday; the first was on 1 October, 2009, when I clocked 70 years.

On the 40th anniversary of Pharmanews, we had cause to beat drums in thanksgiving to God. I wonder if there is any other periodical in this country that has published regularly without interruption for 40 years. You can check from the National Library of Nigeria. It was therefore a glorious celebration of investment of 50 per cent of my years of life on a record-breaking periodical. Two significant highlights of the last anniversary celebration were the launch of your autobiography, My Life and Pharmanews, and the presentation of awards to 50 companies. What was the significance of these gestures?

I looked forward to that autobiography because there are certain things about my life and business which I needed to make public before I depart from this world. If you read people’s biography with an open mind, there must be certain lessons to learn. I am glad that I shared in that autobiography some information about my life that had remained in my heart from childhood. Also, I revealed how God called and anointed me as a pharmaceutical journalist. I shared my own personal business model that caused Pharmanews to be a leader today.

Recognising and presenting awards to 50 pharmaceutical companies at the occasion was something that had never happened in this country. Most of them had been partners to Pharmanews for decades. The beauty of that event was that all the chief executives of the companies were physically present. Few of them who were represented were outside the country at that time. It was such that one chief executive that was hardly seen at public functions was there personally. Their presence showed the tremendous goodwill for Pharmanews. How did you feel about the turnout at the event and the goodwill messages you received from well-wishers?

The turnout at the event was fantastic. At the planning stage, we booked an event centre to accommodate 600 guests seated. I considered my connections from different sectors - pharmaceutical (different groups), Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International, church, Okija, neighbours, friends, old boys,

thanksgiving service started at 7.00 am in Maryland and the main event at 12.00noon in Ikeja. Unexpectedly, heavy rains started at 8.00am and did not subside till about 3.00pm. The rains therefore provided a natural selection and screening for attendance.

Despite the heavy and prolonged downpour, the hall was still overfilled with guests. The organisation was excellent and many guests confessed that it was one beautiful occasion that brought together the cream of the executives in the pharmaceutical industry and the masters of ceremonies managed the event very professionally.

Forty-one years is not an easy feat in the life of any publication, much less a specialised one like Pharmanews, especially in a country like Nigeria. To what would you attribute the success of the journal so far?

As you know very well, morbidity and mortality rate of periodicals in Nigeria is very high. However, many factors have contributed to the success of Pharmanews. Such factors include commitment of the staff, integrity, hard work, desire to provide excellent service, effective management of resources which include, money, time, materials and also effective leadership and teamwork.

But the number one factor is God - factor. On 27th December, 1978, God gave me the vision for Pharmanews and I carefully wrote it down. The original manuscript of the vision is still with me and I made a photograph of it and reproduced it on page 178 of my autobiography. If you go through that vision now you will see that we have maintained it. If God gives you a vision, write it down and follow it. Don’t turn away from it because of people’s ideas. Even those who wish you to succeed may unknowingly take you away from God’s plan for your life and business. I don’t mean that you should reject counsels from peers but remember that the Holy Spirit is the Counsellor while others are mere counsellors.

its maturity age. It has garnered experiences from ups and downs of the economy, goodwill and patronage of its clients and, therefore, is adequately fortified for greater services. Pharmanews is still growing and has not yet reached its peak performance. With the advances in information technology there is no limit to expansion of our scope. It is destined to be one of the world’s leading healthcare periodicals. Of course, in Nigeria, all healthcare professionals are familiar with Pharmanews. As a consummate business manager, who has weathered a number of challenges in the past, what do you think business owners should be doing to survive these difficult times?

If businesses should do one thing to survive these difficult times, I believe that one thing should be effective management of resources. Management of resources is the primary divine responsibility of man. In the beginning, God created man for the purpose of managing His resources. He also created us with talents and abilities to perform the assigned tasks. You succeed when you are a good manager and fail when you are a bad manger.

Before you can effectively manage any business, you must first manage and develop yourself. If you cannot manage your body, time, money, emotions, your economic and spiritual life, how can you successfully manage a business entrusted to your care?

In order to survive these difficult times, business owners must pay attention to their resources. The human resource comes first because there is nothing you can achieve without manpower. Financial resources, machines and equipment, materials are all important. Identify your actual business needs and source them.

If you bear in mind that all these are God’s resources and you are only a caretaker to make effective use of them to please your Creator and the Owner of the resources, you will survive, by God’s grace.

Pharmanews has continued to be the leading pharmaceutical journal in the country since inception, despite the fact that many other similar publications have been established. How has Pharmanews been able to maintain this front line role?

With all modesty, I must I must tell you that Pharmanews assumed leadership of healthcare periodicals in Nigeria from its maiden edition in May 1979. That edition hit the pharmaceutical industry like a thunderbolt. It hit the schools of Pharmacy that were in existence at that time. At that time, no one had seen a pharmaceutical newspaper in A3 size anywhere in the world.

At the FIP Congress held in Brighton, UK, in September 1979, I carried and distributed more than 400 copies which went round nearly 50 per cent of the participants. Every person wanted a copy because nobody had seen a pharmaceutical periodical like that. From that Congress, Pharmanews became the voice of Nigerian pharmacy all over the world.

At the PSN conference held in November, 1979, in Kaduna, there was a massive distribution of Pharmanews. That conference was like an unplanned launching of the journal. Its debut elicited the admiration of many colleagues while, of course, some colleagues demonstrated envy and bitterness.

After Pharmanews was launched in May, 1979, the World Health Organisation came up with the World Health in 1980. Several look-alikes came up in Nigeria but none has so far survived. There are many reasons why they all failed to survive but that’s not my question here. But one thing I know is that Pharmanews was destined for leadership from its birth and I give glory to God.

Now that 41 years are gone, what should readers and advertisers expect from Pharmanews in the next few years?

By Nigerian standards, a business of 41 years has reached

Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi is the founder and managing director of Pharmanews Limited, whose flagship publication, the Pharmanews journal, marks 41 years of uninterrupted publication this May. In this recent interview at his office in Maryland, Lagos, the iconic pharmacist and publisher reveals the factors that have helped Pharmananews maintain its leadership position and unbeaten records since

inception, as well as what its readers and advertisers should expect in the coming years. Excerpts:

Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi

By Ola Aboderin

university alumni etc. and found it difficult to invite a lot of people. In fact, we printed only 200 invitation cards and used WhatsApp messages for the rest. Coincidentally, October I was a public holiday and therefore most people were free from work.

Since it was not courteous to say no to people who heard of the occasion and wanted to attend, we only prayed to God to take control of the situation in the management of the space, food, drinks and souvenirs. I could not imagine how God would save us from that predicament but He did it in His own way. On that day, the

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}CEO of the Month




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Dr Chukwudi Onwuka is an accomplished pharmacist with about four decades of practice in the United States. In this exclusive interview with Pharmanews, he shares some of his experience over there, while also highlighting the numerous essential

roles of pharmacists in the society. Excerpts:

Hiding medication information from patients unethical - Onwuka

Can you briefly tell us about your background?

Let me first of all appreciate you for the good work you are doing under Pharm. Ifeanyi Atueyi. This is the second time I am interacting with Pharmanews. The first one was in October 1979. If you check your archives, you will see my article you published when I was a student at the Northeastern University in Boston. Indeed, I started with Pharmanews 41 years ago.

I am from Okija in Anambra state. I left for the US in September 1977 and studied Pharmacy at the Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, obtaining Bachelor of Pharmacy in 1982 and master’s degree in Hospital Pharmacy Administration in 1985. Later I obtained PhD in Healthcare Administration from Capella University. I own and manage Broad Ridge Drug in Gary, Indiana. I am glad that two of our children are also pharmacists practising in the US.

What motivated you to study Pharmacy?

Pharmacy has always been my dream, even though when I was young, I met a judge, who is a close relative and he advised me to study Law, in order to become a lawyer. But I didn’t yield to that advice because of my desire to practise Pharmacy.

My love for Pharmacy started from my father. He was not educated but he practised both traditional pharmacy and surgery. People who had abscess and boils consulted him for treatment, and he operated on them. So, Medicine had always been in the family, and some of my elder brothers became medical doctors, but Medicine wasn’t my own desired profession. Pharmacy has been the profession I wanted and I’m glad I achieved my ambition.

How would you describe the roles of pharmacists in the healthcare industry in Nigeria?

Pharmacists have several responsibilities to patients and in the drug distribution system.

Some of our roles include: ensuring the supply of medicines within the laws and regulation, ensuring that medicines prescribed for patients are safe and suitable; advising patients about medicines, including their doses and side-effects and answering their questions.

We also supervise the medicines supply chain and ensure pharmacy premises and systems are fit for the purpose; advise other healthcare professionals about safe and effective medicines use, safe and secure supply of medicines;

respond to patients’ symptoms and advise on medicines for sale in pharmacies; supervise the production and preparation of medicines and assessments of quality of medicines before they are supplied to patients.

However, these roles of pharmacists are affected by shortage of professionals and inadequate remuneration in Nigeria. Their roles will be more effective when more pharmacists return to the country, because one thing is obvious; healthcare professionals that left Nigeria for overseas will eventually come back.

From my personal experience, I know that most people that travelled out desire to come back and work in Nigeria, but their present condition may not allow them. For instance, when I left Nigeria, I had the intention of staying over there for just five years; I never planned to stay this long. But, it is still on my mind to come back to the country. In fact, my desire is to practise here, and this is why I came to the University of Benin few years ago and attended the mandatory course for my registration to practise locally.

Having practised in the U.S, what are the values of pharmacy there that can adopted in Nigeria?

The first thing to know is that the pharmacist’s role there is well defined. Over there, physicians don’t practise Pharmacy, as pharmacists dispense drugs and do counselling, and also get involved in clinical aspect of Pharmacy. That is why we study and acquire the Pharm D. degree.

There are procedures a pharmacist must follow to avoid giving wrong medications

Patients should be guided on how to recognise counterfeit drugs. They should be educated on the repercussions of buying cheap medications, which could lead to buying of fake ones.

Government also should endeavour to make free medications available, to enable patients know where to get authentic medicines free of charge.

This could be possible if there is a contract between pharmacists and government, where the government pays pharmacists for their services, and pharmacists dispense the medicines free to patients.

With this arrangement, if there is a dispensing fee, pharmacists will ensure that the medicines are not sold in the market, and they could even form a task force to ensure that nobody sells the medicines.

Have you participated in any medical mission? If yes, tell us your experience during the exercise?

We started the Anambra State Association in the United States of America (ASA-USA) and Okija-USA (Okija people in USA). These medical missions were motivated by the fact that our people are not able to see doctors and do not have access to medications. So, some of us came up with the idea of medical mission and decided to come home on our own expenses. We contributed money every year to buy some medications and came home to help our people.

The medical mission team consists of different healthcare professionals, with pharmacists, nurses, doctors and others working together for the good of our people. Unlike visiting the hospital, where patients will have to pay to get cards to see doctors, you don’t need any formalities to see us during the mission; you can just walk in to see the doctors and pharmacists and they dispense medications to the patients, based on their needs after examination.

Let me state clearly that we embarked on the medical mission because of our love for our people, as some of the medical facilities in the state were dilapidated, and there was no access to medical care. In fact, it was when we initiated this idea that the government started picking interest in medical mission. Most patients who cannot afford to see a doctor were able to walk in to get diagnosis and treatment for any problem they had. Some of them, for the first time, knew they had blood pressure or diabetes. Another thing we did was to incorporate health education with the care, because we came across a lot of people who were ignorant of their problems.

The first medical mission we had was from June to August 2008, and I was privileged to coordinate the team.

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}Diaspora News

because hospital settings are different from community pharmacy settings.

Hospitals have their ways of checking medications to ensure pharmacists dispense drugs to the right patients at the right time.

One key difference in Nigeria is that when medications are given to patients in Nigeria, most caregivers usually avoid disclosing the names of the medications, so that they can protect their business. But that is wrong because a pharmacist is expected to take care of patients.

In the United States, pharmacists and physicians adhere to healthcare regulations to make things easy for patients to understand their medications.

Going forward, how can this wrong practice be corrected?

Pharmacy law prescribes that you have to label the medicine before handing it over to patients. This needs to be enforced. The policies and the laws of the Nigerian healthcare systems should be enforced. Laws are as good as non-existing if they are not enforced. Also, monitoring teams need to go round to find out those violating the regulations.

Again, it is necessary to give patients drug information, because if they travel and need to visit a health facility, they will know what to tell the caregivers.

What are the processes to help the society deal with the menace of fake, adulterated, and counterfeit medicines?

I will suggest that pharmacists should be conducting training for nurses on adequate use of medications, while nurses, in return, should learn how to explain medications use to patients.

Dr Chukwudi Onwuka




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}ViewpointWhat Pharmanews means to us – Pharmacy studentsAs Pharmanews marks 41 years of uninterrupted publication in serving not just healthcare practitioners but also pharmacy students

who have been featuring in the journal and receiving free copies since its inception, our reporter, OMOLOLA FAMODUN, sought the opinions of some pharmacy students and executives of the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigeria Students (PANS) on what they

think of the journal. Their views are presented below:

When I got admission to study Pharmacy in 2015, I literally had no idea of what I was going into. This continued until my second year when I first came across Pharmanews which was given to us by the PANS executives. I saw an article about the various aspects of Pharmacy one can specialise on. It really helped me by giving me a path to follow. Pharmanews then became my pharmacy news hub.

I get information about the current trends in the profession, drugs and the rules and regulations guiding the profession. Well, I must commend the Pharmanews crew for doing a great job over the years. Pharmanews has got great content

Pharmanews brings news about recent happenings in the world of Pharmacy. I got my first copy of Pharmanews in my third year. Though I didn’t read it immediately I got it, I eventually did and it was surprisingly interesting. I saw a lot of facts about health that I had never heard of before. I saw some drugs that I’d probably just heard of, but never seen an actual brand. In a way, it helps improve my memory, because for example, when I see a drug name, I try to search in my head what class of drug it is and what it is used for. Sometimes if I don’t remember, I check it out.

Another thing I mentioned was facts on health. I read one article sometime in Pharmanews about sleep apnoea. I had heard of apnoea before, but never really given it much thought until I read that article. I was wowed because I didn’t even realise it was so common. I even laughed at myself for not knowing what sleep apnoea meant before that day, but I was grateful to whoever wrote the article and I was grateful to Pharmanews for publishing it.

It has also helped to keep me informed about who policymakers are in pharmacy and what they’re doing to help improve our noble profession. For that, I am also grateful.

So far so good. It’s not been easy keeping up because I’m not even the reading type. But, so far, the ones I’ve read have helped and, at least, made me more exposed. Also I’ve been exposed to many products that I might not have necessarily come across on a normal day. I enjoy reading Pharmanews mostly because of the contents and the font, and last year, after I became the PANS national treasurer, I felt more obliged to be a part of it.

I came in contact with Pharmanews in June 2018. It was shared randomly to persons in the class because the copies were not enough. I was lucky enough for one to be dropped on my table, so I quickly picked it up and claimed ownership of it.

After that month I’ve ways read it whenever it’s available in the faculty. Since then, I’ve been a fan. It exposes to me to the various topics I am to be taught consequently and, thereby, building my foundation in those topics. It has also contributed to my knowledge of drugs, not forgetting the innovations happening around the world and various policies being adopted.

Pharmanews has practically been my eyes, ears and legs in the pharmaceutical industry since I’m still schooling. It keeps me up-to-date with the happenings in the various areas of practice, thereby widening my scope about the profession.

Pharmanews has not just been a great help; it still remains a great help to me in the journey of life.

Pharmanews is my window to the pharmaceutical industry - Chinaza Chigbo (student exchange officer)

Pharmanews has really been of tremendous help to me - keeping me updated with health news from around the world and helping me to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I have equally been inspired by great minds who are constantly being interviewed.

I came across it in 2015, while doing my Industrial Training. My superintendent pharmacist always purchased the journal, which I always read.

Pharmanews inspires me - Olubummo Uwem

Pharmanews showed me Pharmacy path to follow - Christopher Ataisi (national director of socials)

Pharmanews is an eye-opener, memory-booster - Chinyere Claire Ben-Njoku (national welfare officer)

Pharmanews has made me more exposed - Chinelo E. Nnanyereugo (national treasurer)

I get valuable information from Pharmanews - Caleb Okechukwu (financial secretary)

I came across my first Pharmanews publication in 2017, in my second year. I wanted to ignore it at first, but then I looked at the front cover and saw that it was a magazine targeted at pharmacists, so I decided to take a look at it. And ever since, I try to read a copy of it each month it’s delivered to PANS-UNIPORT.

Reading Pharmanews has made me savvy about some of the challenges affecting the practice of Pharmacy in Nigeria. I also get valuable information on some diseases affecting the Nigerian populace and the modern ways of their treatment/management in the health articles. Pharmanews also keeps me abreast of events that occur at PSN and other bodies under/associated with it.

Reading Pharmanews has given me some overview on the pharmacy profession

Pharmanews one of the best things to happen to me - David Chinedu Nicholas

Pharmanews has been to me a pivotal force that keeps me up and going, providing awareness of various kinds, making me crave for more knowledge daily from the foreign and local environments. It is filled with informative knowledge shared in form of articles, as well as biographies of famous professional personalities with their breakthroughs in the profession, both locally and internationally.

I must say Pharmanews has been one of the best things that have happened to me and it has given me daily value for my data subscription as it keeps equipping me with timely basic knowledge, sustaining my stay on the track as a professional and providing updated information. As an undergraduate, Pharmanews has enhanced my career pursuit and self-development.




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}

}Natural MedicineSteam therapy: An adjunct in respiratory health

Pharm. Ngozika Okoye MSc, MPH, FPCPharm

(Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency)

Steam therapy, or steam inhalation, is the method of introducing warm moist air

into the lungs via the nose and throat for therapeutic benefit. It involves the inhalation of water vapour. This practice is not new. The use of steam bath dates back to centuries, often to the Romans and the Greeks who used steam as a means to heal and draw out impurities from the body. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, also documented the benefits of steam as a means of maintaining daily health.

ConstituentsMaterials required for steam

therapy include a large bowl, water, a pot or kettle, a stove or microwave for heating up water and towel. The key to the strong health benefits of steam is its high humidity.

PreparationsSteam therapy may be carried

out the traditional way – that is, pour a few cups of steaming water into a large bowl, put a towel over the head to form a “tent”, lean over with the face 15-20cm from the steam, and inhale. Other methods include hot showers with or without essential oils, and personal inhalers.

Pharmacological actions and medicinal uses

Mechanism of actions of steam include moisturising dry,

Steam therapyirritated nasal and throat passages, making them more comfortable; alleviating soreness and inflammation of the throat; liquefying mucous secretions, resulting in clearer secretions that are easier to expel by coughing or blowing the nose; relaxing throat muscles, thereby reducing the cough reflex; and dilating blood vessels, encouraging better blood flow and overall circulation.

The warm, moist air is thought to work by loosening the mucus in the nasal passages, throat, and lungs. This may relieve symptoms of inflamed, swollen blood vessels in the nasal passages. These

actions can allow breathing to return to normal, at least, for a short period of time.

A study showed that children who used steam to help relieve congestion recovered more quickly from respiratory infections than children who did not use steam therapy. One well-designed clinical trial of 62 patients concluded steam inhalation resulted in alleviation of cold symptoms and improved nasal patency (how open the nasal passages are) compared to the placebo-treated group.

Steam therapy is also beneficial in achieving pain relief,

healthier skin, stress relief, weight loss and cardiovascular health. While steam inhalation won’t cure an infection, like a cold or the flu, it may help make one feel a lot better, while the body fights off the infection.

Steam inhalation may provide some temporary relief from the symptoms of the common cold, the flu (influenza), sinus infections (infectious sinusitis) and nasal allergies. Moist heat in steam showers has been documented to relieve conditions like bronchial asthma, bronchitis, catarrh, coughs, hoarseness and expectoration (coughing up phlegm).

Steam has shown benefits in relieving respiratory symptoms related to viral infections. This service can be combined with the healing properties of essential oils and various clays as well as mud packs in order to facilitate healing.

Adverse effectsA steam room can be

dangerous, usually due to the very real risk of dehydration. This is worse if alcohol is consumed just before using the steam room.

There is also risk of scalding or severe burns as a result of contact with the hot water.

Economic potentials Steam therapy is 100 per cent

natural. It may come at little or no cost as a home remedy. However, construction of portable steam tents may not only provide income for the fabricator, but a more convenient way of accessing the service both in facilities and at home.




“Everything rises and falls on leadership,” says Dr John C. Maxwell. “But

knowing how to lead is only half the battle. Understanding leadership and actually leading are two different activities.”

The key to transforming yourself from someone who understands leadership to a person who successfully leads in the real world is character. Your character qualities activate and empower your leadership ability, or they can stand in the way of your success

Dr Ted Engstrom says that organisations succeed or fail for many different reasons. Even the mature organisation or nation is not without its hazards. In many ways, the dangers that it faces are more subtle. They are often the result of success rather than failure.

Certain signs indicate leadership in danger and we will attempt here to determine strategies for avoiding these pitfalls. It has been well said that an organisation begins with a person, becomes a movement that develops into a machine, and eventually becomes a monument. How do these things happen? Here are some signs of leadership in danger and the associated strategies to avoid them:

1. Settling for the status quoHow easy it is for the leadership

to be willing to settle for the status quo, to struggle to “keep things as they are.” But it is impossible for any organisation to stand still. It will either progress or regress. The only constant is change and it is necessary for organisations or nations to move forward.

This is also true in our personal life. Once we settle for maintaining things as they are now, we, at that moment, begin to slide toward ineffectiveness, a slide that becomes steeper the farther we go. One of the clues that we are settling for the status quo is that we have very little internal tension within the organisation. This naturally leads us to the next danger.

2. Eliminating creative tension

Leaders of organisations that “have it made” tend to resist creative tensions. They like to settle for peace and calm. Creative leaders have new ideas. They want to change things, to make them better. But new ideas bring with them a conflict of interest, and conflict of interest brings internal tension.

When a new idea is offered, too often what we hear is, “You have done things wrong,” rather than “here’s a better way.” The result of eliminating creative tension is that we often fail to face up to the situation around us. An example of this might be how we handle the world economic scene with its increasing inflation. If we do not go through the struggle of creatively addressing ourselves to the tensions this is going to create in our nation, many organisations will find themselves in deep difficulty down the road.

3. Not planning in-depthAlmost every organisation

does some planning, but if leaders fail to plan in-depth and in-breadth,

LEADERSHIP INTIATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE (LIFE) SERIES

12 major signs of leadership in dangerdanger lies ahead. In other words, it is too easy for us to look for quality and quantity as a primary result of our planning, rather than quality and meaningfulness in the programme. These need to be placed in priority. Quality is far more important than quantity. Size or quantity must always be secondary to effectiveness.

Discriminating between breadth and depth is not easy. That is why there is a real danger here. Leaders may have a great desire to expand throughout and beyond our community or to the rest of the world, but if the quality of our products or services is not being continually strengthened, then we may discover that we have over-extended ourselves.

4. Stopping to listenA very subtle danger for

experienced leaders is a failure to really hear and listen to other colleagues, to give them a role in participatory leadership. Younger staff members have a great deal to contribute. Often we are so certain that we have “been there” before that we do not hear them. This is even truer of our usual attitude toward younger women staff members.

Those who are older and who provide leadership need to have an open heart to what younger colleagues may say. After all, it is self evident that tomorrow’s leadership rests with them. If we want to ensure the continuation of a solid performance culture, then we need to invest ourselves in the developing leadership. Part of the investment is to have the will and time to listen.

5. Depending on past successes

How easy it is to place our confidence in what the organisation has done in the past, or even what it is doing now. It is easy to bask in the accolades of others who tell us what a great job we have done. But our dependency is not on what we have accomplished in the past or what we are doing now. Rather, it should be on the work and the tasks to be accomplished tomorrow.

6. Depending on personal experience

This is a corollary to depending upon the organisation’s experience. Too many of us are ready to depend upon our own brainpower, expertise, and experience rather, than to depend upon God Himself. Today’s activities are so much unrelated to the past that experience itself may not be a major predictor of success in the future.

7. Neglecting the highest good

Here is a danger of which we are all aware but too often face. It is the danger of becoming so busy in what are genuinely good and fine works that we neglect the highest good, which is our devotion to our immediate family and God.

8. Forgetting unityGood organisations should

have both the promise and the demand of a special kind of unity. We are related to one another as the different parts of the same

organisation. This relationship is not an option—it is a given. The maintenance of this type of unity takes skill and perseverance.

Unity is not the absence of a healthy conflict caused by creativity and differences of opinion. Unity finds its first dimension in the allegiance we have to our organisation. It finds its expression in our recognition that each of us has gifts that help us to function as parts of the organisation. Part of our task is to affirm one another’s gifts and to respect one another’s roles. This is a primary task of good leaders.

9. Losing the joy of service

How quickly those lead. However, you must also do everything you can to maintain the profitability of your division and your company. To that end you will invariably have to make unpopular decisions. In fact, if you are in a leadership position and never find yourself making unpopular decisions, you are probably not doing a very good job for your company or your team.

In order to lead, even when you have made an unpopular decision, you must be well trusted – that is, be of high impeccable integrity. “How can I do both?” you might ask. You must clearly and concisely communicate the reasons for your difficult or unpopular decisions to your team. Only through open, honest, timely communication can you gain the trust of your team that will carry you through a myriad of difficult decisions.

Never lie or mislead and always disseminate difficult information to the team as soon as you can. Because of your strong communication efforts, most will understand that you are doing the best thing for the team and they will shower you with trust in the moment and trust enduring.

“But, I am afraid they won’t like me and I will be unpopular!” you might say. Please accept that a leader who is indecisive, inconsistent, dishonest, misleading, or a pushover will be much more unpopular than one who is open, honest, decisive, and courageous. Team members need to know that they have a strong leader; a leader they can trust to fight for their best interests.

By the way, please don’t confuse strength with gruffness or rudeness. Difficult information must be shared cordially; not dictated brusquely. Don’t be afraid; powerful servant leadership will make you popular beyond your wildest dreams! Great leadership is hard work!

Which of these pitfalls is your organisation most prone to fall into? Now is a great time to take stock of what dangers might be ahead for you. Knowing the bumps on the road ahead can make all the difference in avoiding them.

Lere Baale is a Director of

Business School Netherlands www.bsn.eu and Certified Strategy Consultant at Howes Consulting Group www.howesgroup.com

By Prof. ‘Lere Baale

who are in the work, who are on the frontlines of service, can lose the real joy of that service. Paradoxically, the further we proceed in positions of leadership and authority, the greater servants we should become. The highest role of leadership is that of servant. Leaders need to be undergirded with authority and perquisites of office. However, if these are seen as being the just due of the individual, rather than the accoutrements of the office, we can become dangerously close to believing that we are the ones who should be served. The servant role ought to mark us. It is in this kind of service that there is the deepest joy, gratification, and satisfaction.

10. Forgetting the bottom lineAccountants like to call our

attention to the “bottom line,” the final statement of what is left over after outgo has been balanced off against income. Every organisation needs to know what its “bottom line” is. Everything must head towards the goal and objective.

11. Being desperate to remain popular

Former Prime Minister of UK, Tony Blair, once said: “Leadership can be an unpopular business. The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes.”

One of the greatest signs of leadership in danger is seeking for popularity at all cost, rather than face the key goals of the organisation. When leading, we must always put our followers first; we must always consider what is best for our team members; we must always be servant leaders. However, in the course of business, as leaders, we will occasionally find ourselves in a position where in order to do the best for our team members we must first make hard decisions that are not readily understood or agreed to by them. We must not allow our resolve to weaken because of pressure brought by those who would have us bend to their wishes! We are the leaders. We must lead; we must not follow. We must be strong.

12. Relegating integrity

Wayne Kehl says that in order to lead, you must maintain the integrity of your team. Without the team, you will have no one to




What we are witnessing now is strange, totally unexpected and unprepared for. It is

worse than war between nations or communities. It is a calamity, a disaster of monstrous proportion. Most people are still in denial and they demonstrated against the government for daring to restrict their movement, tampering with their freedom, a fundamental right enshrined in the constitution of Nigeria.

The rapidity of the COVID-19 pandemic and the unpreparedness of the world made it difficult, if not impossible, for people to quickly accept the reality of the situation and embrace the measures being devised to contain it. Indeed, the story of the novel coronavirus pandemic belongs to a group of celestial events which had been recorded in history. The biblical stories of the Egyptian plagues, crossing of the Red Sea and others are more like a myth to some people, rather than a reality which the Christians accept and preach.

There are people who believe that COVID-19 is a punishment from God, in response to the total disregard for His laws by humans. But whatever your beliefs are, the truth is that COVID-19 is here with us and it will exert its maximum effect, if we are not careful.

EmergenceThe pandemic started late

December 2019, in Wuhan, China, and rapidly grounded all economic activities with its reverberations being felt all over the world. China, being a major supplier of virtually everything, sent the whole world into a panic mode.

Initially, the world was only concerned with the economic impact and the alteration of the established order - but not for too long, as the disease spread its wing to all parts of the globe and, pronto, everybody in every corner of the world is in trouble. The virus is now known to have infected over a million people and killed more than 60,000 of them. It has spread to at least 180 countries and regions around the world in less than three months!

Europe is the worst hit. In Italy, people are dying daily in their hundreds. In the United Kingdom, the discussions and hysteria that accompanied BREXIT was quickly set aside to focus on the COVID-19 pandemic. Spain is in trouble, big trouble, just as it is in other European nations.

The story is not different in other continents. Asian nations like India, South Korea, etc, are not spared of the evil touch of the pandemic. In the Middle East, hitherto sworn enemies, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and Israel are now faced with the same race of how to contain the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak.

In America, the usually loquacious and boisterous Donald Trump had been boasting about the invincibility of the United States of America until the reality of his people’s vulnerability dawned on him and others in government. Today, America has overtaken China as the epicentre of the disease. It is a pathetic story throughout the length and breadth of USA. The nation’s healthcare system is overwhelmed. People are dying in huge numbers daily and the situation is getting out of control.

In an unusual bipartisan action since the Trump era began, the two legislative chambers of the Congress agreed to an unprecedented $2 trillion package to combat the pandemic. This is a massive stimulus package, about 100 times the national budget of Nigeria. Yet, for the United States of America, the battle of COVID-19 is not abating yet.

In Africa, over 6,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed with South Africa leading at over 1,500 cases and closely followed by Algeria with over 1000 cases. In Nigeria, over 200 cases have been confirmed with five fatalities.

EffectsHowever, while we are still

trembling under the fear of the dreaded COVID-19, it is important for us to examine its impact on the world order, nation states and individual lives. The pandemic has changed what we used to know, observe, appreciate, adore and even worship. The usual camaraderie that defines our society is no longer an acceptable norm. Now, everybody is a suspect - your spouse, children, parents, relations, friends, colleagues at work or in the profession or religious group, etc.

It is no longer okay to shake hands, hug or embrace, kiss or in any way display physical affection for your loved ones. We are to maintain social distance and there is a government “stay at home” order. In fact, these days, it is not uncommon to receive a message like, “If you love me, don’t visit.” The old people, 60 years and above, are particularly vulnerable and we are

advised to stay far away from them.

COVID-19 does not respect any person, nation, ethnicity or race. It has the greatest disregard for power, wealth and influence. The United States of America, the most powerful nation in the world, has succumbed to the reality of COVID-19 threat. The weapons of war cannot save the great nation from the threat of the pandemic, which has also exposed the weakness of its healthcare delivery system.

Europe is trembling now. All our thoughts in Africa about their superpower status has been laid bare as mere fiction. The same Europe that people risked their lives to cross deserts and seas just to get there has now become a “no-go” area. There are no longer queues for visa at the embassies anymore and no one is interested in going there. All airports are closed, international flight operations suspended, and immigration posts partially closed.

EmulationFor us in Nigeria, this is a

rehearsal of what the JUDGEMENT DAY will look like. I am not referring to the apocalyptical end of all things as predicted in the Holy Bible. The judgement day here refers to the time that we will give account of our stewardship, whether here or hereafter. This account will be rendered as a nation, individual, family, group

should serve the people have been made to rot away.

With the advent of COVID-19, the recourse to overseas succour is blocked and the people most affected are the same privileged, powerful and wealthy people. They can no longer access their favourite hospitals abroad. The sky is closed against their first class or business class positions in commercial airlines and their private jets. They have no choice but to use the same hospitals that they have neglected and rendered impotent over the years. With their big titles: governors, ministers, managing directors, directors-general, chief of staff, etc., they are now being forced to use the same facility with the commoners.

Had they known that a day like this would come, it is probable that they would have behaved differently and sought the good of the nation rather than their primitive accumulation of wealth and utter disregard for the public good. This COVID-19 rehearsal is good for us, and I will urge our political and business leaders to use their wealth and exposure for the good of the community. Let us build systems and infrastructures that can withstand the stress of COVID-19 and other unplanned events that may come in future.

As a nation, we have neglected everything that we should have concentrated our attention on, and that is why we are struggling to revive the railway system, and spend hours on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, a road that was commissioned by the late General Musa Yaradua in 1978. I wonder why it took us 42 years to expand and rebuild the road.

In Lagos, I am aware that the Daleko Bridge that connected Isolo and Mushin communities was completed and commissioned in 1976. The Isolo to Ikotun axis of the road has been left unattended to for decades, leaving people to suffer on daily basis. I am not sure that the governor is aware that the people living in the communities served by this road are part of Lagos State.

People who live in crowded areas, with about five to six people in a room, are now being asked to stay at home to prevent the spread of a highly contagious disease! The hospitals that are not properly

funded are now being called upon to handle emergencies of COVID-19. We could have done much better; and after this COVID-19, a rehearsal of the judgment day, is over, I want to appeal to governments at all levels to be alive to their responsibilities and make things to work for the people.

EmphasisWe have always asked

government to treat medicines availability as a national security issue. We pleaded that our drug research and local manufacturing capabilities require a special attention and focus from the government. However, it was business as usual, until COVID-19 came and the fire-brigade action started.

The current stimulus package for the pharmaceutical industry, announced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is good but should have come much earlier. We are faced with shortages of essential medicines which will take months to come back to normal. About 80 per cent of our national consumption is imported from other countries and these countries are currently minding their own problems. India, for instance, has banned export of essential medicines, which should be reserved for their local population. China is going back to work and will take time to return to the pre-COVID-19 activity level.

When this is over, I will urge the government not to drop the ball in the pursuit of growth and development of the pharmaceutical sector. We have allowed politics and other subterranean considerations to becloud our need for a vibrant pharmaceutical sector. I wish to repeat my earlier recommendation that the president should appoint a special adviser of cabinet rank on pharmaceutical affairs. The office will oversee and supervise all activities relating to regulations, research, manufacturing, procurement, distribution and other issues concerning medicines and allied products.

Let’s take the challenge of COVID-19 seriously and do the right things after the episode is over. It may be more catastrophic if we allow other occurrences to meet us unprepared.

or organisation. We all know that

“God cannot be mocked, whatever a man shows, he shall reap”. Sadly, over the years, we have neglected to follow the wisdom embedded in this divine injunction. Our elites are fond of disregarding the development of the home base and will rather rush to the big cities in Europe and America for everything: shopping, healthcare, education, parties, houses, etc. Since they are the leaders in the government and economy of the nation, they have access to the nation’s wealth and have helped themselves to accumulate more than enough for now and the future. In the process, all the systems and infrastructures that

By Pharm. (Dr) Lolu Ojo, BPharm, MBA, PharmD, FPCPharm, FPSN, FNAPharm

COVID-19 pandemic: A judgement day rehearsal

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}Issues & Perspectives




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Business tactics and strategies to survive COVID- 19The 2019 novel coronavirus

disease (COVID-19) is a new strain of coronavirus that had

not been previously identified in humans. It was first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. While most initial transmission appeared to be zoonotic, person-to-person transmission is the most important common mode of transmission currently.

Today, infection has topped 2.6m, with deaths in excess of 181,000 worldwide. In Nigeria, we have over 1000 infections and over 30 deaths. It has spread to over 26 states with epicentres in Lagos, Abuja (and maybe Kano). The outlook is uncertain in Nigeria – this will be eventually determined by the scope and depth of community infection. As of now, it appears we are at the take-off stage of the very dangerous community spread of infection

The coronavirus outbreak is first and foremost a human tragedy, affecting millions of people. It is also having a growing impact on individual businesses, as well as national, regional and the global economy. As at the time of this writing, Lagos, Ogun and Abuja are in a lockdown, as ordered by the federal government. Overall, the 36 states are in various forms of lockdown and restriction of movement, with its profound negative effects on businesses and personal lives.

This is a totally new experience for us all. Below are suggestions and ideas on how businesses can survive this situation:

Observe measures to protect your staff and customers as well as to contain the spread of the virus

A. If the business is still fully or partially open, then be obsessive about hygiene. The best way for business owners and employers to ensure that employees and customers are protected from COVID-19 infection is to:

i. Encourage employees to wash their hands frequently with soap and water. 65% alcohol-based hand sanitizer is a viable alternative.

ii.Encourage employees to cough or sneeze into a tissue, or into their elbow (if no tissue is available).

iii. Clean and disinfect surfaces and premises at a minimum of once daily.

iv. Mandate unwell employees to stay at home and observe their symptoms.

v. Avoid crowding, and

crowded places

B. Stop the spread of the virus by following these health and safety tips from the NCDC:

i. Maintain social distancing. No handshakes: Use a non-contact method for greetings.

ii. Try not to touch your mouth, eyes and nose. Remind employees to do the same.

iii. Constantly and regularly disinfect surfaces, including doorknobs, handrails, the POS system, tables and desks.

iv. Keep your employees and your customers safe by being as proactive as possible about cleanliness.

v. Taking care of staff is paramount

Give employees flexibility as a means of caring. Allow and enable them to work from home, as much as is possible.

Reduce meetings and travels. Meetings are the platform for managers to work, take decisions, make deliberations, ad communicate. But it encourages crowding, heavy personal contacts and use of shard space and facilities/equipment. This is a veritable means of COVID-19 transmission. So, physical meetings should be heavily reduced, if not totally axed. Teleconferencing is the current trend. Reps should be restricted to their bases, to help reduce transmission and infection.

Indicate that personal safety of employees is important and should be taken care of in all circumstances. Sales representatives and other field staff should be encouraged to obey lockdowns and other measures and directives by the authorities, without taking unnecessary risks. They should also be provided with proper ID and authorisation documents as may be necessary for movement as may be prescribed by authorities

Proactively provide clarity and security for employees. Company-wide memo and communications should be should be crafted top communicate (a) to (d) above and more, including working week, working hours, expense and cost management, expected reporting mode/timing, etc.

Communicate what will (or might happen to) wages and salary. A special issue to be communicated is about compensation. It is a bit difficult to make any guarantee in this respect, and there is no

general pattern. Some companies can afford to keep paying (full or in part) for a fairly long time, while others don’t have that scope. Whatever is the situation, it is much better to be clear about what will (or what may happen) to salary, wages and capped field force expense (float) within the scope of the crisis and immediately after. Same goes for security of positions and jobs. These can be addressed even as situations evolve.

Taking care of your business Keep access open. We are in

the healthcare industry and our products and services are critical to some patients, customers and institutions. So, as much as possible, we should enable and design processes to make them available despite the constraints. Sales have to continue in order to generate income for running expenses (there will always be running expenses for any on-going concern and for operations immediately after COVID-19).

Focus on collection, building relationship and demand- generation. Collection do not often need physical presence as payments can be done online. But reps need to ask and, in some instances, may need to do “banking” for customers. Waiting till the end of the pandemic to demand for your money is risky and may bring financial grief. The least is to put your company on the front burner by getting a payment plan effective in the first few weeks, post-crisis. The other planks include focusing on demand generation within the available resources, opportunities and reachable healthcare professionals, as well as creating and building relationship with customers, distributors, KOLs – after all they have more time in their hands. In this regard, phone calls, WhatsApp, teleconferencing, etc., are important.

Communicate transparently with your customers. Everyone is facing this crisis together; so be transparent about what your business is going through. Customers can empathise with brands facing a crisis, as long as you communicate with them properly. As Harvard Business Review reports, “When customers are separated from the work that’s being done behind the scenes to serve them, they appreciate the service less and then they value the service less.” Describe the steps you’re taking to mitigate

Par Excellencewith

Pharm. Tunde Oyeniran

Sales. Marketing. Leadership. Management

risk and give them insight into the steps you’re taking to help the community.

Shift your sales strategy online. One major characteristic of the crisis is severe restriction of movement. It then becomes obvious to move ordering, communication, tracking, awareness creation, report/reporting, meeting, briefing, etc. into the cyberspace.

Assess your product portfolio. While the depth and duration of the impact of this crisis on the economy and individual lives is difficult to forecast, it is smart to start recovery planning ahead of time. This could mean recalibrating your product line or rebalancing to increase focus on new opportunities and changing your channel strategy to be digitally-led. Companies with all products from India/China, products that are bulky, products with low margins are suffering, low stock-holding will more negatively affected

Figure out where the opportunity lies. Like in every crisis, opportunities abound for those with well-tuned antennae and perspicacity. The starting point is to ask, what are the lessons to be learnt from this crisis that we were most unprepared for? How is the environment reacting or likely to react? I predict that government and individuals will pay more attention to our very weak health system. How will you, your region and your company benefit from this? I expect immunity-building and supplements/nutraceuticals segments to grow as COVID-19 has exposed the limitations of orthodox medicine and therapy

Clean up parts of your business that you’ve been neglecting or haven’t had time for. Control what you can control. Rather than focusing on how bad it is, focus on how you can use this time to connect with your future customers. This is also a good time to clean up all the little messes every small business has. Everyone has things they wish they could re-do. Now is the time to make those changes.

Tunde Oyeniran, a Sales/Marketing Strategist, Selling/Sales Management Trainer and Personal Coach (Sales Management) is the Lead Consultant, Ekini White Tulip Consulting Limited, Lagos. Feedback Channels: 080-2960-6103 (SMS/WhatsApp) /[email protected] or check https://fb.me/EkiniWhiteTulipConsulting

external support from patrons within and outside the state, the current economic situation of the country as a result of the current global pandemic is really a big challenge in achieving these goals. My executives and I are ensuring that we are not deterred by these challenges as we are looking for alternative ways to impact our colleagues through other online media.

The present Faculty of Pharmacy, UNIBEN, commenced operation in 1970 to cater for the then mid-west states in Nigeria. Over the years, what

would you say are the challenges facing pharmacy education in the school, and how can they be surmounted?

Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin will be celebrating her golden jubilee this year and this is a major milestone for both the staff and students of the faculty. The faculty has contributed immensely in shaping the scope of pharmacy education in the country. But from my perspective, one major challenge facing pharmacy education is the scope of the pharmacy education curriculum.

I believe that the curriculum should be remodelled to meet the current global needs and trends. I believe it should be modelled

to involve more leadership and practical skills training, digital and clinical skill exposure. It should also create more room to enhance collaboration among students within and outside Nigeria.

UNIBEN is the only pharmacy school in Nigeria accredited to award the Pharm.D degree, which spans a period of six years. What do you think gave the school an edge over others, especially those that started offering Pharmacy earlier in the country?

In my view, I believe that the Faculty of Pharmacy, UNIBEN, has been blessed with very innovative lecturers, who are ready to change

the status quo of pharmacy practice in the country, irrespective of the obvious challenges that they were faced with. The decision by the faculty board to be oriented towards a more global standard is what has given the faculty an edge over her contemporaries.

The founding fathers of the Pharm.D degree program had seen and were opportune to be trained in climes where pharmacy practice is more clinical and pharmaceutical-care based. This exposure, I believe, ignited the zeal to effect a change. So, from my perspective, I would say that the edge the faculty had, was based


High-handedness, anxiety fuelling mass failures in pharmacy schools – PANS, UNIBEN President





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He said: “It is not as if we are not ready to discharge our duties. All we are asking government to do for us is to provide PPEs for us, so that we that we that are now the last defence line will not be weakened, because by the time our members start getting infected, that will force us to lockdown; and of course the consequences would be severe as hospitals are closing down. If the community pharmacies also close down, where will the citizens seek for healthcare?”

Presenting the items, the ACPN boss noted that the association took the decision to donate the items to all the 57 LGAs and LCDAs in the state as part of its corporate social responsibility to the state, and also to contribute its quota to the containment of COVID-19, saying that the COVID-19 challenge could not be left for government alone to handle.

“Government cannot do it alone without the support of an association like ours; so we have mandated all our zones across the state to do the same. We have only picked Apapa LGA and Ifako/Ijaiye LGA to flag off the donation, while we leave other local governments across the state to be handled by our zones in the state,” Obideyi said.

Speaking in the same vein, the Coordinator, ACPN, Apapa zone, Pharm. (Mrs) Onyinye Okafor, and the Secretary, Lagos ACPN, Pharm. Jonah Okotie stated that the step taken by the association became necessary in view of the high rate of the spread of the coronavirus disease in the country, adding that the gesture was part of the association’s commitment to support the state government.

While commending the gesture of the ACPN, the Chairman, Apapa Local Government, Hon. Elijah Owolabi Adele, who was represented by the Secretary of the council, Hon. Olalekan Bakare, said that the donated products would be used judiciously, adding the Council was going to give priority to the usage of the materials to prevent the spread of the virus in the area,.

Also reacting, the Chairman, Ifako/Ijaiye Local Government Area, Apostle Oloruntoba Oke, said the council would continue to engage in advocacy and educating the people so they would know what to do to avoid the virus.

While lauding the ACPN for the donation, the council boss called for more support and partnership with the view to ensuring that the war against COVID-19 is won.

Oke also urged residents of the area to report any COVID-19 symptom to the concerned authorities, stressing that the local government authorities were determined to eliminate the disease from the community.

“I want to appeal to our people to continue to cooperate with us in this fight against coronavirus,” he said. “We don’t want anyone to die and the best way to contain this virus is for us to stay at home and take every necessary precautions as stated by the experts.”

on the willingness and zeal by the faculty board to effect a change to the status quo of the practice.

If you have the honour of changing some things about pharmacy education in Nigeria, what will they be?

If I have the honour of changing anything in pharmacy education, it will be the pharmacy curriculum. The training and the courses should be geared towards proffering answers to 21st-century problems. Any part which is not currently relevant in practice will be removed. I believe this will reduce the extremely bulky nature of pharmacy education and focus more on relevant parts of the practice, thereby grooming young pharmacists with adequate problem-solving skills.

Using the school of pharmacy, UNIBEN as a case study, what do you think is responsible for the challenge of ‘mass failure’ among pharmacy students nowadays?

The issue of mass failure is a

serious one that any pharmacy student can relate with. Basically, I believe that one major contributing factor to this issue is the psychological state of the student. From my experience, I have come to realise that majority of pharmacy students already have the premonition that pharmacy is very difficult and examination success is always not guaranteed no matter how hard you prepare.

With this mindset, students eventually spend a long time studying, with very little confidence required to write well in an exam. Students end up getting tense before and during examinations, which is always counterproductive.

I also believe that some of our lecturers contribute to this problem. Some of them try to make students see that failure is inevitable, and the slightest error can earn one a repeat. If lecturers can help the students to see that Pharmacy is not as difficult as they

presume and that with adequate hard work, success is certain, students will get the adequate psychological boost to build the confidence needed to come out with flying colours in any examination.

Although there may be other contributing factors, I believe that if the psychological state of the students is well catered for, by helping them overcome emotional and psychological trauma, the issue of mass failure will be drastically reduced.

What is the level of support that PANS-UNIBEN is receiving from technical bodies like the PSN and the ACPN in Edo state?

Over the years, PANS-UNIBEN has received some level of support from technical bodies such as PSN and ACPN. This is evident in the roles they play during the students health week, public health awareness programmes, and partnering with students’ bodies during their weeks. I would love to use this medium to appreciate all technical bodies and individuals that have supported us in various ways in the past and I want to appeal for their continual support to the student arm of the profession. Long live Pharmacy!

ACPN-Lagos tasks Sanwo-Olu on improved protection for pharmacistscontinued from backpage


High-handedness, anxiety fuelling mass failures in pharmacy schools – PANS, UNIBEN President



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of Jawa Nigeria Ltd, Chief Varkey Verghese; and the National Chairman of NAIP, Pharm. Ignatius Anukwu, said they are in dire need of palliatives from government to aid quick recovery and survival of their businesses.

While the Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers and importers further requested the federal government to extend the deadline for the payment of 2019 tax, citing problems arising from delay in their shipments from India, the industrial pharmacists also asked for access to foreign exchange at the official rate, stating that they are currently buying at the market rates with all the volatility that comes with it.

The IPMIN president further said that since February when the Indian government restricted the exportation of certain antibiotics and vitamins, it has been a particularly difficult time for importers, as many of their goods in the process of importation were halted with duties running on them.

“There has been considerable delay in getting the raw materials and finished goods from India. There are two aspects to this. The first is that the lockdown in India has made the ports to slow down their operation. Also, the Indian government restricted the exportation of certain antibiotics and vitamins but now they have made some relaxation in giving export permit on a case-by-case basis and all these are delaying shipments”, Verghese lamented.

He further called on the government to “remove duty for all raw materials imported and VAT payable now on certain raw materials and packing materials.”

Aside from tax exemption, the Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers and importers have also urged the leadership of the National Agency for Food and Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to show more consideration in its registration processes for new products and renewal of existing products, stressing that this will foster ease of doing business in this COVID-19 era.

Emphasising the importance of local manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, he noted that the global pandemic has further awakened the consciousness of Indian importers to local manufacturing, revealing that some of them have commenced contract manufacturing with local manufacturers of essential drugs in the country.

He said: “This is a wake-up call for all concerned stakeholders in the pharma industry to look inward and produce locally and be self-sufficient. To this end, some of our members have already started doing contract manufacturing with existing local manufacturing companies rather than importing these items from India or other countries.”

Speaking in a similar vein, the NAIP national chairman stated that removal of tariffs on raw materials and essential pharmaceutical products will be of immense benefit to both the pharmaceutical companies and the entire citizenry.

“The government would be doing the citizenry a world of good

by removing forthwith all tariffs on finished pharmaceutical products and raw materials for medicines in order to make medicines more affordable, especially at this time that earnings will be severely affected by the evolving situation. This will not only improve margins for the pharmaceutical companies but serve as a boost for many of them to quickly re-stock their products once their overseas suppliers resume operations. This will equally reduce the level of shortages that may be occasioned by the prevailing circumstance.

“Access to forex is also very crucial for pharmaceutical companies, as it has been stated that 70 per cent to 80 per cent of our essential medicines are imported, as well as all our raw materials. Therefore, access to forex by pharmaceutical companies at the official rate is key. At present, our members are buying at the current market rates with all the volatility that comes with it. This will eventually lead to higher prices of medicines. Also this thins-out the margins of the companies and challenges their sustainability. The CBN will help us more by selling forex to our members at the official rate,” Anukwu said.

He further mentioned other challenges of pharmaceutical manufacturers and importers, with particular emphasis on the huge debts owed them by government agencies and institutions.

“These debts run into billions of naira,” said the NAIP chairman. “Most of the time, the institutions that owe these monies cite poor funding by government as the reason for not paying. These are supplies for which they have made earnings for their institutions. Apparently, they have diverted the funds which should have been used for the payment of these supplies. This is negatively impacting the pharmaceutical companies and leading to poor remuneration and loss of jobs in the sector as many pharmaceutical companies have gone out of business because of this development. Government and these agencies should pay these debts.”

While applauding the federal government on the recently announced CBN intervention fund for the pharmaceutical industry, Anukwu disclosed that the association is however concerned

about the interest rates announced on the fund.

He asserted that the association would need further clarification from the Central Bank as to what percentage the companies would be charged when the repayment falls due. This, he said, is because going by the apex bank’s announcement, the one-year period in which a five per cent rate is effective will elapse by 28 February 2021, after which the rate will revert to nine per cent.

“No company, to my knowledge, has obtained the loan yet. We would like to see a situation in which those who access the loan on or before February 28, 2021 would be allowed to repay it at five per cent. We hope that this will be addressed before the borrowers receive their repayment schedule. We believe that the CBN’s intervention will make a positive difference”, he remarked.

When asked if the association was into any partnership for the production of vaccines or other natural products to combat the lethal virus in the country, Anukwu explained that although there is a memorandum signed with Nigerian Pharmacists in Academia to pursue the commercialisation of products from indigenous research, the association’s research grant for the project, called the Nigerian Medicines Development Project, is too small to support research in vaccine development.

He said: “Research is a long-term commitment and research doesn’t just happen because there is COVID-19. It is only those countries who have the infrastructure, the funds and the scientists that will make the difference in a sustainable manner in vaccine development. In Nigeria, we have the scientists but almost no funding for research and very poor infrastructure. NAIP’s resources are too meagre for this scale of enterprise.

“Furthermore, none of the federal, state or private universities has a biosafety level (BSL)3 laboratory to conduct the requisite research on SARS-CoV-2, being a very virulent and highly contagious virus. Also, due to the high cost of research and development, I am not aware that any of the faculties of pharmacy or any of our members is working on any vaccine at the moment.

“The federal government has also not made any pronouncement

as to making available any funds for research on COVID-19 to the Nigerian Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and D e v e l o p m e n t (NIPRD) or to any of the faculties of pharmacy in the country.

“The only private and i n d e p e n d e n t vaccine producing company I know in Nigeria is B i o v a c c i n e s Nigeria Limited. I have not heard that they are carrying out any research on the development of vaccine for COVID-19. Vaccine production is

COVID-19: IPMIN, NAIP demand tax exemption, tariff removal for 2020, 2021

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highly technical and recomplex technology and requires not only huge funding but also a lot of time and commitment before getting a product ready for the market. Having said this, it is important to note that beyond vaccines, there are other efforts that are being explored in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

“Vaccines primarily confer immunity. However, the development of new molecules or the exploration of the activity of existing molecules against SARS-CoV-2 as well as researching the activity of herbal medicines on the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 are other veritable options.”

Speaking on steps being taken by members of the association in resolving their problems, Anukwu noted that, rather waiting for the government’s support as they had done over the years, they have, in recent times, decided to address these challenges a bit differently.

“We are mobilising our members and our resources towards the establishment of pharmaceutical manufacturing parks in Nigeria. This will provide a private-sector approach to coping with some of these challenges. In addition, this model is very likely to attract government’s interest and support when it becomes operational and successful,” he enthused.

In a related development, the IPMIN president has condemned the stigmatisation of drugs and test kits imported from China and India, saying since all countries of the world are affected by the coronavirus, it is imperative that all imported pharmaceuticals be treated alike on arrival in the country.

He therefore pledged on behalf of all IPMIN members to abide by NAFDAC guidelines on imported drugs in the country.

He said: “We should be fair in our judgement; all countries in the world are facing the COVID-19 pandemic. If we import anything from any country in the world, be it Europe, Britain, US, China, or India, they are to be treated equally.

“All our members will follow NAFDAC guidelines while receiving any imported goods from any country in the world and in our opinion, there is no need to single out Chinese products.”

Chief Varkey Verghese Jawa Nigeria Ltd

Pharm. Ignatius Anukwu National Chairman, NAIP.


PHARMANEWS MAY 2020 VOL. 41 NO.5

Published by PHARMANEWS LIMITED, 8, Akinwunmi Street, Mende, Maryland, P.O. Box 2213, Ikeja, Lagos State. Tel: 08033015991, 08057235128 E-mail:[email protected], [email protected]. Website: www.pharmanewsonline.com. Ag.Editor: Ola Aboderin: 07033179360 Printed by:

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COVID-19: IPMIN, NAIP demand tax exemption, tariff removal for 2020, 2021 To continue to make

medicines available and affordable for Nigerians,

despite the current constraints in importation of pharmaceutical raw materials and finished products, Indian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Importers in Nigeria (IPMIN) and the Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP) have called on the federal


By Adebayo Oladejo

The Chairman, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Pharm.

Olabanji Benedict Obideyi, has called on the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu to ensure improved protection for community pharmacists, saying shortage of Persona Protection Equipment (PPE) is leaving the practitioners dangerously ill-equipped to care for patients

Obideyi disclosed this at the recent public presentation of medical items, including packs of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, vitamin C drugs and hands gloves to all the 57 local government areas and local council development areas in Lagos State.

The ACPN boss who revealed that community pharmacists are now receiving more patients due to the closure of many hospitals in the state as a result of the ravaging coronavirus, noted that health workers rely on PPE to protect themselves and their patients from being infected and from infecting others.

ACPN-Lagos tasks Sanwo-Olu on improved protection for pharmacists

...Donates hand sanitizers, drugs, hand gloves to 57 LGAs, LCDAs in Lagos

government to exempt their members from tax payment for the years 2020 and 2021, as well as removal of all tariffs on pharmaceutical raw materials and finished products.

Speaking with Pharmanews in separate interviews on how the raging COVID-19 pandemic is affecting their members, President of IPMIN and managing director

Pharm. Olabanji Benedict Obideyi, chairman, ACPN, Lagos State, presenting one of the hand sanitizers to the chairman, Ifako/Ijaiye Local Government, Apostle Oloruntoba Oke at presentation of hand sanitizers, drugs, hand gloves to 57 local government areas and local council development areas in Lagos State.


pharmacists have capacity to conduct covid-19 …...41 years of uninterrupted monthly publication...

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