A total of 89 chemists from the class of 2021–2022 graduated from the University of Ilorin (Unilorin) yesterday, with 27 of them obtaining distinctions.
Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof. Wahab Egbewole congratulated the graduates and urged them to represent the university well wherever they go. He made these remarks during the Eighth Induction and Oath-taking.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor for Management Services, Prof. Sulaiman Ambali, representing the VC, emphasised the role that pharmacy plays in the provision of healthcare in Nigeria.
He described pharmacy as very unique in healthcare delivery system.Egbewole counselled the graduates to follow their values and professional ethics with diligence.
As a result, the vice chancellor urged the authorities in charge of regulation to intensify their efforts to combat counterfeit medications.
Prof. Margaret Afolabi, a clinical pharmacy administration professor at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), IIe-Ife, advised the graduates to instill professional principles in her keynote speech.
She asserts that pharmacists are required by the professional guidelines to uphold the highest standards of discipline, responsibility, honesty, respect, and diligence.
She cautioned them against wearing inappropriately and emphasised the importance of being modest in order to stand out.
“Don’t take advantage of your clients who are in vulnerable state. Integrity is a cornerstone of the profession.
“Hard work will take you far and places of high level. You must avoid error as much as possible and ask for clarification if you don’t understand handwritten prescription from medics,” she said.
The pharmacy expert cautioned them to seek advice from senior colleagues and other colleagues as well.Afolabi, who observed that counterfeit pharmaceuticals were widely available in the nation, challenged them to be reliable and help the nation in overcoming the obstacle.
The Registrar of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), Mr. Ibrahim Ahmed, also advised the graduates to uphold the highest ethical standards and carry out their responsibilities for a sustainable healthcare system in Nigeria.
Ahmed also urged students to be diligent about their internship training, saying that there are no boundaries to their work because they can envision themselves working in hospitals, publishing, journalism, and governance.