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INTRODUCTION

1. The Directorate of Pharmacy is one of the 6directorates of the NAMC.

The Directorate, which is headed by a Brig Gen, is directly under the
supervision of the Corps Commander Medical (CCM) The Director advises
the CCM on all matters, as far as pharmaceutical care in the NA are
concerned. Furthermore, the Directorate carries out other functions as
may be directed by the CCM, be it on policy issues, advice to ASA on drugs
and equipment, purchase and distribution of drugs and equipment, postings
and appointment of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, monitoring of
all drugs and medical equipment holdings in NA medical facilities. In
summary, it is the Directorate saddled with the responsibility of all
medical logistics.

AIM

2. The aim of this lecture is to highlight the activities of the Directorate

of Pharmacy, its challenges and future prospects.

SCOPE

3. The scope of this lecture will cover the following:

a. What is pharmacy?
b. Who is a pharmacist?
c. Uniform pharmacists appointments.
d. Uniform pharmacists present deployment in the field.
e. Roles of pharmacists in NHIS and DRS.
f. Procurement of drugs for NHIS and DRS.
g. Challenges.
h. Future Prospects.

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WHAT IS PHARMACY?

4. Pharmacy is derived from the Greek word “pharmakon” i.e. drug.

Pharmacy is the health profession that links health sciences with chemical
sciences, and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of
medication. The scope of pharmacy practice includes more traditional roles
such as compounding and dispensing of medications, it also includes more
modern services related to patient care, including clinical services,
reviewing medications for safety and efficacy and providing drug
information.

WHO IS A PHARMACIST?

5. A Pharmacist is that expert on drugs therapy, and is the primary

health professional that optimises medication use to provide patient with
positive health outcomes. He is the only health professional that is licensed
and authorised by Decree 9 of 1992, in Nigeria, to procure, import, export,
mix, compound, prepare, dispense, sell and distribute drugs and poisons.

UNIFORM PHARMACISTS APPOINTMENTS

6. The Directorate of Pharmacy is presently seriously under staffed.

Ideally, its key officers are supposed to be deployed as follows:

a. Director - HQ NAMC - Brig Gen.

b. DD - ” ” - Col.
c. AD - ” ” - Lt Col.
d. CMSY - - Brig Gen.
e. NADMACO - - Brig Gen.
f. DMD NADMACO - Col.
g. CI Pharm - NASMS - Col.
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h. Div Med Stores (DMS) - Cols (Cos).
(Including MHB & MHPH)
i. Reference Hospitals - Brig Gen (HOD).
j. Div Hospitals - Cols (HOD).
k. Bde/Cant Med Ctrs - Capt (Oic).

UNIFORM PHARMACISTS PRESENT DEPLOYEMENT IN THE FIELD

7. The current manpower state of uniform pharmacists and how they

are deployed is as detailed.
Ser Facility Estab Holding Def Rmks
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)
1. HQ NAMC 4 1 3
2. NASMS 4 1 3
3. CMSY 4 3 1
4. NADMACO 9 2 7
5. 44 NARHK 3 2 1
6. 68 NARHY 3 2 1
7. MHL 3 2 1
8. MHB 3 1 2
9. MHPH 3 1 2
10. MHS 2 1 1
11. 1 DMS 3 1 2
12. 2 DMS 3 1 2
13. 3 DMS 3 1 2
14. 6 DMS 3 1 2
15. 7 DMS 3 1 2
16. 8 DMS 3 1 2
17. 81 DMS 3 1 2
18. 82 DMS 3 1 2
19. 1 DH 3 Nil 3
20. 2 DH 3 Nil 3
21. 3 DH 3 Nil 3
22. 6 DH 3 Nil 3
23. 7 DH 3 Nil 3

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24. 8 DH 3 Nil 3
25. 81 DH 3 1 2
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)
26. 82 DH 3 Nil 3
27. MHS (SECTOR 3) 1 1 Nil
28. Level II Fd Hosp. 1 1 Nil
29. BMCs & Depot/NMS 19 Nil 19
30. NDA MC 1 1 Nil
31. AFSHK 1 1 Nil
32. AFCSC/ICC 1 Nil 1
Total 110 29 81

8. From the foregoing, which is based on ORBAT 2016, it can be seen

that Pharmacy Directorate is operating at 26.36% of its established
uniform pharmacists’ capacity. The situation is even worse for Pharmacy
Technicians whose establishment is 1,897; while holding is just 121 i.e. 6.4%
established capacity.

9. It is pertinent to mention here, that the NADMACO, listed in the

table, though, headed by an MD who is a uniform pharmacist, recommended
by HQ NAMC to AHQ, he is however, directly responsible to the COAS
through the Nigerian Army Welfare Limited by Guarantee (NAWLG).

ROLES OF PHARMACISTS IN NHIS AND DRS

10. National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). The NHIS has a

cardinal principle of mobilizing resources for health care services, and so
improve the general health status of the citizens. The objectives of the
Scheme are to ensure that every Nigerian has access to quality health
services, protect families from financial burden of huge medical bills,
limiting the rise in the cost of health care services and ensuring efficiency
in the health care services. Others include, improving and harnessing
private sector participation in the provision of health care, ensuring
equitable distribution of health facilities, particularly drugs, within the NA
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medical facilities. In all these, one of the most important key players is the
pharmacist; hence, our relevance cannot be over emphasized, as the
Scheme can easily collapse without our active, honest and professional
contribution. It is important for pharmacists in the field to always give
their commanders professional advice as far as the issue of sourcing for
the best drugs and medical sundries at the most cost effective rate is
concerned.

11. Drug Revolving Scheme (DRS). The DRS was established in

1993, with a highly limited scope, as it was only meant to provide essential
drugs for purchase by patients and reduce the “out of stock” syndrome.
Service personnel were made to procure all their drugs and surgical
procedure materials. This situation impacted negatively on health care
delivery in the NA because service personnel were expected to get all
medical services free of charge. You will recall that when this ideal was
muted in 1993, the main objective was the availability of at least 70 - 80%
of prescribed drugs in all NA medical facilities, and the pivot of this idea
was and still remains the pharmacist, whose role is invaluable to the
success of the Scheme. It is however, sad to observe that, there are some
medical facilities where a pharmacist is on ground, yet, he is not a member
of the DRS Committee. This is absolutely un-professional, as the
pharmacist only, should be fully in charge of anything that has to do with
medical logistics, chief of which are drugs.

PROCUREMENT OF DRUGS FOR NHIS AND DRS

12. As earlier stated, when the noble idea of DRS was muted in 1993,
the main objective was the availability of at least 70 - 80% of prescribed
drugs in all NA medical facilities. The same applies to the NHIS, with the
main objectives of ensuring that every Nigerian has access to quality
health services, protect families from financial burden of huge medical
bills, limiting the rise in the cost of health care services and ensuring

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efficiency in the health care services. In these 2 Schemes, one of the
most important professionals to make them successful is the pharmacist.
It is with this in mind that I want to remind you all, that the importance of
pharmacy towards a successful implementation of these Schemes cannot
be over emphasized; hence, the need for the pharmacist who is the only
one, out of all the stakeholders in these Schemes, that is legally licensed
to procure all drugs and any medicament needs for use in your medical
facilities. To do this however, the pharmacists have to be up and doing in
their professional calling, by making sure they procure ethically approved
products at the most cost effective prices.

CHALLENGES

13. Challenges confronting the Directorate of Pharmaceutical Services

include but not limited to the following:

a. Manpower.
b. Poor Pharmacy Infrastructural design.
c. Exclusion of Pharmacist from DRS Committee in some healthcare
facilities.
d. Lack of Current Pharmaceutical Books and Journals.
e. Delayed approval for Postgraduate Courses sponsorship.
f. Lack of Sponsorship for Update Courses.

FUTURE PROSPECTS

14. The future of Pharmacy practice in the NA is indeed very bright

putting into consideration the just released ORBAT 2016, if it can be 60%
implemented. In it, lot of vacancies up to the rank of Major General have
been created; this will ginger serious officers to aspire to the top and
encourage many more to come in. In addition, the Corps is making efforts
through AHQ MS to let more pharmacists come into the service to boost

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manpower. Also, serving pharmacists are being encouraged to apply for
postgraduate course.

CONCLUSION

15. For the past 30 minutes or so, I have taken the class though what
the roles of Pharmacy Directorate are. I equally refreshed your minds on
what is pharmacy and indeed who is a pharmacist. Uniform Pharmacists and
how they are presently deployed in the field were highlighted. Towards the
end of the lecture, the roles of pharmacists in the NHIS and DRS were
emphasized. This emphasis was with the aim of making the running of these
Schemes successful for the benefit of the patient. In conclusion
therefore, I do hope you are now better informed about the roles of the
Directorate of Pharmacy and the importance of pharmacists in the success
of any medical facility. I wish you the best in your course. Thank you for
listening.

“FOR COUNTLESS PATIENTS AROUND THE WORLD, THE

ADMINISTRATION OF A MEDICINE OR VACCINE IS THE
EMBODIMENT OF HEALTHCARE. WITHOUT DRUGS, HEALTHCARE
SERVICESHAVE NO SUBSTANCE AND CREDIBILITY”.

Dr Hiroshi NAKAJAMA
Former DG of WHO

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