As plans are solid to have a magnificent and impactful second International Scientific Conference, EKO AKETE 2024, of the Clinical Pharmacists Association of Nigeria (CPAN), the National Chairman of the association, Dr. Joseph Madu has revealed the conference will enhance the skills of clinical pharmacists towards better pharmaceutical care.

The conference which will hold April 23 to 27, 2024 under the theme “Global Trends In Patient Care: Clinical Pharmacy As A Gateway To Sustainable Healthcare” will also address the welfare of clinical pharmacists and other healthcare workers towards cushioning the effects of the brain drain and “japa” syndrome, Madu said in an interview.

“Currently, it is no longer news that most lifesaving medicines are getting very scarce as well as very expensive beyond the reach of the common man. As a responsible Association saddled with the responsibility of advising governments on aspects of Pharmaceutical Care and health care safety measures concerning medicines use, CPAN will also make its resolutions public through a communique,” he added.

He also revealed that “different clinical Pharmacy skills update training will be provided for members during the conference, and such including updates on the Basics of X-rays, ECG, and ultrasound scan readings interpretation.”

“Other training to be provided are, Basic Life Support, First Aid Skills, and vaccination or parental drugs administration will be done for members attending the conference. Such updated training is required to ensure better clinical Pharmacy practitioners, and patients, clients, and even healthy persons will benefit from the training.

“In the end, the Clinical Pharmacist’s core task of prevention, detection, categorisation, and resolution of potential or actual drug therapy problems will be further enhanced and made better via these skills up-to-date training.”

Recall that CEOAFRICA reported that the keynote address speaker who will speak on the theme of the conference holding at NECA Event Center, Alausa, Lagos, is Dr. Teresa Isichei Pounds, a renowned Clinical Pharmacist and the immediate past president of the Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in The Americas (NAPPSA). She is also the President of the West African Society of Parenteral And Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN).

The conference also has two sub-themes which are ‘Mentorship In Clinical Pharmacy Practice, Research and Education: The Way Forward.’ The speaker on the sub-theme, Professor Mbang N. Femi-Oyewo, is a Clinical Pharmacist and the current Provost of the College of Pharmacy, Afe Babalola University, Ado -Ekiti and a former Deputy Vice Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University.

Dr (Mrs.) Kemi Oguyemi, the Special Adviser to the Executive Governor of Lagos State on Health will also speak on the second sub-theme, “Interdisciplinary Collaboration; Global Patient Care Roles of Pharmacists In Focus.”

The Executive Governor of Lagos State, Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-olu is the Special Guest of Honour; Chairman, Opening Ceremony is the Managing Director, FIDSON Health Care, Dr. Fidelis Ayibae; and the Chairman, Closing Ceremony is Professor Umar Usman Pateh of the Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Chief Host is Professor Cyril Odianose Usifoh FCPharm, FNAPharm, FPSN, the President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN).