A total of 89 Pharmacists of the 2021/2022 have graduated from the University of Ilorin (Unilorin), with 27 bag distinction.
The University’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, presided over the 8th Induction and Oath-taking ceremony, on Wednesday .
Egbewole felicitated with the graduands, while urging them to be good ambassadors of the institution wherever they find themselves.
The Vice Chancellor, who was represented by Prof. Sulaiman Ambali, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Management Services, underscored the importance of Pharmacy in healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
He described Pharmacy as very unique in the healthcare delivery system.
Egbewole advised the graduands to be diligent and uphold their professional ethics and values.
The Vice Chancellor therefore appealed to the necessary regulatory agencies and bodies to step up the fight against fake drugs.
In her keynote presentation, Prof. Margaret Afolabi, a Professor of Clinical Pharmacy Administration, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, enjoined the graduands to inculcate professional values.
According to her, the professional guiding ethics dictates that pharmacists must be disciplined, responsible, honest, respectable and diligent.
She advised them against indecent dressing, while emphasising the need to stand out by being modest.
“Don’t take advantage of your clients who are in a vulnerable state. Integrity is a cornerstone of the profession.
“Hard work will take you far and places of high level. You must avoid errors as much as possible and ask for clarification if you don’t understand handwritten prescriptions from medics,” she advised.
The expert in Pharmacy also admonished them to consult with colleagues and senior colleagues.
Afolabi, who observed that there is a proliferation of fake drugs in the country, task them on trustworthiness and help the country overcome the challenge.
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Also in his address, Ibrahim Ahmed, the Registrar of Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), urged the graduands to maintain high ethical standards and discharge their duties for a sustainable healthcare system in Nigeria.
Ahmed also enjoined them to take their internship training seriously, adding that there are no limitations to their practice as they can see themselves in hospitals, publishing and journalism as well as governance.
