By Arogundade Taoheed
I write as a pharmacist who refuses to stand by while the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) indulges in petty, self-serving antics that threaten patient lives. The NMA’s intransigent threat of strike action over the creation of a consultant pharmacist cadre is not only intellectually bankrupt—it is morally reprehensible.
Medical Negligence: The Grim Toll You Refuse to Acknowledge
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 2.6 million patients die yearly from medical errors, with prescription blunders and improper drug use among the culprits. Yet, the NMA would rather wage a tantrum than accept the only proven measure—empowering Consultant Pharmacists—to slash these deadly mistakes.
Global Leaders Embrace Consultant Pharmacists—Why Does NMA Cling to Obsolescence?
In the UK’s NHS, consultant pharmacists have been saving lives for over a decade, slashing medication errors and streamlining complex therapies. Australia, Canada, the U.S., and Europe have long integrated Clinical Pharmacist Specialists into patient-care teams, reaping measurable gains in safety and efficiency. Meanwhile, the NMA stubbornly clings to a medieval hierarchy, as if modern medicine can survive on outdated egos.
Your Authoritarian Posture Betrays a Fragile Ego, Not Patient Welfare
Brandishing threats of industrial action against professionals whose specialised pharmacotherapy expertise is indispensable exposes the NMA’s brittle sense of supremacy. Consultant pharmacists mentor junior staff, refine treatment plans, and intercept adverse drug events—duties you refuse to share. This isn’t about safety; it’s about preserving an illusory rank.
Burnout as a Strategy: Exploiting Young Doctors Under the Guise of Advocacy
Your hollow proclamations to “protect young doctors” ring as hollow as your actions are exploitative. By hoarding prescribing authority, you subject interns and residents to relentless overwork, turning them into de facto prescription clerks while pharmacists stand ready to prevent errors. This cynical exploitation must end.
Stop Holding Patients Hostage with Your Cynical Power Plays
Threatening to cripple healthcare delivery to satisfy doctors’ bruised egos is nothing short of hostage-taking. True advocacy invests in staffing, infrastructure, and protocol-driven collaboration, not in blocking reforms that save lives.
Respect the Rule of Law: Regulatory Decisions Are Not Your Plaything
The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) and the Federal Ministry of Health have lawfully ratified the Consultant Pharmacist cadre. The NMA’s attempts to subvert these determinations are an affront to governance, professional ethics, and the basic principles of institutional integrity.
A Defining Moment: Choose Progress Over Petty Politics
Embracing consultant pharmacists is not a concession—it is an exigency. It is the difference between preventable tragedy and therapeutic triumph. Nigeria’s health system stands at a crossroads: evolve with international standards or languish under the weight of ego-driven stagnation.
This piece is written by Arogundade Taoheed, B.Pharm., MSc. (University of Ibadan), MPSN, and published from Ibadan.
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