Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Imo State, has called on the Imo State Government to invest massively in the Pharma industry.
The request was made through the address of the society, presented by its chairman, Dr Nobert Ajiero, during a courtesy visit on the deputy governor of Imo State, Lady Chinyere Ekomaru.
He said pharmacists have over the years contributed immensely to the growth of the economy, both at the state and national levels, through increased local production, to ensure medicine safety.
He told the deputy governor of what he called cascade of activities, including the Imo Pharma Business Summit, coming up soon, using the opportunity to invite the deputy governor to the event.
“Your Excellency, it may interest you to know that Pharmacists have cerebrally advanced themselves, particularly in specialization into various areas of competence, like; Public Health Pharmacy, Clinical Pharmacy, Oncology Pharmacy, Renal Pharmacy, among others.
“While some are in academia, others are either in the hospital administrative industry or Community Pharmacy practice, making the profession, not just lucrative, but versatile and enterprising”.
The society, through the address read by its chairman made some requests from the deputy governor which include; to facilitate their courtesy visit on the governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, assist in the development of the society’s land and construction of the society’s secretariat, implementation of Doctor of Pharmacy and Pharmacy Consultancy in Imo State civil service.
Others are; appointment and employment of pharmacists in diverse roles in the state, provision of buses for medical outreaches in remote villages and other engagements of the society and the domestication of National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) in the state.
Responding, the deputy governor, Lady Chinyere Ekomaru highlighted that Governor Uzodimma has special passion for health care delivery and done so much in the health sector, including renovating almost all health centres across communities in the state and building new general hospitals.
Lady Ekomaru made a passionate plea to the society to play their roles in making sure that Imolites are healthy, help in checking the menace of self-medication, sale and consumption of expired drugs, among others.