PCN Tasks 60 New Pharmacists On Ethics, Lifelong Learning

Registrar of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, has charged 60 fresh pharmacy graduands of Kaduna State University (KASU) to uphold the ethics of their profession.
He also urged them to embrace lifelong learning and commit to excellence in practice.

Ahmed gave the charge yesterday during the oath-taking and induction ceremony of the new pharmacists from the university’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

He said the induction was a statutory requirement under the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria Establishment Act, 2022, before full registration as pharmacists, stressing that the profession demands integrity, discipline, and a sense of service.

“As you take the oath today and become an inducted member of the pharmacy profession, I urge you to maintain high ethical standards and leadership qualities and endeavour to be worthy professionals in providing quality pharmaceutical services for sustainable healthcare delivery in Nigeria.”

The registrar reminded the inductees that their training had only reached its first stage, noting that the mandatory one-year internship programme at PCN-accredited centres must be taken seriously.
He added that the Pre-Registration Examination for Pharmacists (PEP), which comes after internship, serves as a quality assurance tool to align training with global best practices.

Ahmed also warned against professional misconduct, including the “Register and Go Syndrome,” which tarnishes the profession’s image.

He further highlighted the diverse opportunities in pharmacy practice, ranging from industry, hospitals, and community practice to research, academia, governance, and information technology.

He urged the new pharmacists to embrace lifelong learning to cope with challenges such as technological advances, drug resistance, and adverse drug reactions.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of Kaduna State University, Professor Abdullahi Ibrahim Musa, said, “The oath they are about to take symbolises their commitment to upholding the highest standards of professionalism, ethics, and integrity in their practice.”

He urged the inductees to see themselves as assets to Nigeria’s health sector and as global citizens whose impact should be felt worldwide, while advising students still in training to learn from the perseverance and discipline of their colleagues.