On Sunday, the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Adeyeye, identified technological disruption and regulatory changes as factors militating against the nation’s path to a sustainable healthcare future.
The NAFDAC boss, who also outlined evolving patient needs as part of the factors, said effective strategies must be adopted to mitigate healthcare system strain in Nigeria.
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Mrs Adeyeye, a professor, spoke in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, while delivering a lecture during the maiden induction ceremony for 95 graduates of the Doctor of Pharmacy programme of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD).
She spoke on the theme, “Navigating Tides of Change in a Strained Healthcare System -Pharmacists as Compass to Qualify Care.”
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She said mitigating healthcare strain required a holistic approach that addresses demographic shift, disease burden, operational inefficiencies, and potential external shocks.
The NAFDAC DG listed key strategies, including embracing digital health tools, fostering flexibility and adaptability, and advocating for policy changes to address resource limitations and increasing demand.
To navigate the tides, she stressed that embracing digital health and innovation, through the use of technology, will extend care beyond hospital walls, reaching more patients and managing chronic conditions remotely, as well as leveraging data to identify bottlenecks, predict demand, and optimise resource allocation for better efficiency.
Mrs Adeyeye suggested the “Implementation of strategies to reduce wait times and improve patient flow, such as triage systems and digital appointment booking, invest in preventive measures and public health initiatives to reduce the overall burden on the system and promote healthier communities as patient-centred care.
Others include “developing clear strategies for allocating limited resources to areas with the greatest needs, advocating for policies that address systemic issues such as funding shortfalls, workforce shortages, and promoting long-term sustainability of the healthcare system, among others”.
In his remarks, the university’s founder, Afe Babalola (SAN), commended the graduands for their discipline, dedication, and hard work.
He urged them to be guided by and continually subject themselves to the rules and regulations of the regulating body, the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN).
“We have distinguished ourselves in inculcating the requisite learning and character in our students. Please, do not depart from the teachings you learnt here; doing that, the future is yours.
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“Be good ambassadors of your university, and continue to make use of the ABUAD anthem, AFEISM, as your guiding philosophies as you go out,” the legal icon said.
The Registrar of PCN, Ibrahim Ahmed, who administered the oath on the inductees, admonished them to make the ethics of the profession their watchwords.
Earlier in her address, the university’s Vice Chancellor, Smaranda Olarinde, a professor, urged the inductees to be compassionate, guided by skill, discipline, and ethical conduct in their profession.
“The world you are entering demands professionalism anchored on international best practices. In this age of transnational epidemics, counterfeit medication, and rapid pharmaceutical innovation, the pharmacist cannot afford parochial knowledge or ethical lapses. iPhone the value of diligence, accuracy, and empathy. Remain students of life: learning, relearning, and innovating,” she said.
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