I welcome our distinguished guests, NAPPSA members, speakers, exhibitors and friends to the 15th Annual Scientific Conference and Exposition here in Baltimore, Maryland.
My profound thanks go to Doctor Anthony C. Ikeme for his outstanding leadership and his vision and developing the 10-year plan for NAPPSA and leading the organization to a state of cohesiveness, financial growth, and stability. The value of the Innovative B2B expansion and fundraising strategies developed and executed in partnership with Pharm.
Emmanuel Ezirim cannot be overstated. In my role as president, I will fully support and build upon efforts geared toward these initiatives.
NAPPSA has established and maintained a strong link between the United States and Nigeria in the areas of pharmacy education and practice. This is evidenced by NAPPSA’s participation in the development and implementation of the position paper on the value of the PharmD curriculum. An effort that led to the adoption of the PharmD program as the minimal entry level for pharmacy practice in Nigeria. Needless to state, NAPPSA was in the forefront by collaborating with the key stakeholders like PCN, NUC, UNIBEN to launch this special PharmD program in 2018 and 2019.
Here are the key goals that I believe we can all partner together to achieve during my term:
- Advanced the Pharmacy Practice Model and Education in Nigeria by building upon the current Clinical Pharmacy Program initiatives in collaboration with key stakeholders in Nigeria (PCN, NUC, WPACP) with an emphasis on restructuring the PharmD curriculum and post-doctoral training to align with the global best practice standards.
- Collaborate with relevant stakeholders in Nigeria to develop strategies to empower pharmacists to practice patient-centered pharmaceutical care.
- Develop and empower the next generation by having young professionals serve on and lead key committees.
- Expand on the already existing collaboration between ANPA and NAPPSA.
- Increase NAPPSA’s involvement on the global front by ensuring affiliation with the International Pharmaceutical Federation’s (IFP) global body that represents over 4 million pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists.
- Keep in touch and sense the organization via quarterly virtual connects.
- Encourage the FMOH to rekindle the spirit and key goals of the FMOH-NAPPSA MOU of 2013.
With the unique diversity of our membership, I hereby encourage everyone to take advantage of the networking opportunities that this conference offers in order to gain ideas on how NAPPSA can continue to contribute to the advancement of healthcare in Nigeria.
I would like to end with this famous quote from President John F Kennedy’s inaugural address “My fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you- ask what you can do for your country.” Indeed, NAPPSA members have demonstrated significant interest in “doing” for our country, Nigeria. So, I commend all NAAPSA members for the selfless acts of giving back to our homeland Nigeria and employ us to continue to do more in areas of our expertise.
