THE PROBLEM WITH PHARMACY IN NIGERIA, PHARMACISTS!!!

I am on call right now and as I was coming to the pharmacy I thought of a senior colleague that rarely comes to work and the fact that nothing has been done to him by the management of my department. And that led me to think about the ways my department seems to be descending to a place of no return. We all know the problem that is befalling my department and we are too chicken to state it and fight it.

The problem with my department is the problem of pharmacy in Nigeria, we are too damn CHICKEN LIKE AND ARE BACK BITING, BACK STABBING B****ES!!. Yep! I have said it. We are so complacent and we are not interested in sacrificing for each other instead we rather try to bring each other down. Selfishness at its peak!!

The older ones are the most annoying set of pharmacists (And my mother agrees. For those who know me you would know why i just wrote that). Infact they are the biggest problem in pharmacy. I feel the only way pharmacy would move forward is for the younger ones to kick their asses and take over. Enough is enough!! It is because of this attitude that the doctors know that they can over ride us anyhow and nothing would happen.

How can interns have a particular grade level that they should be placed on and they are demoted and you as a head do nothing? Just because you feel that at the lower level they are paid enough. How can you say they should manage the money like that and not want to do anything because in your time you were paid a very small amount? I was paid 35 thousand naira during my internship in a community pharmacy and the proper amount for an intern in a hospital is waaaaayyyyyy more than that but that does not mean they should be paid less than the amount that is due to them. It is their right and they should be paid the money. Sitting down and saying nothing makes the leader or head look weak.But it all points to SELFISHNESS!!!

Drug revolving fund (DRF) and its incentive was established to make sure drugs were always available in the hospital and that the pharmacy staff have like a bonus to motivate them to do better. But the sad story in the times we live in is that the C.M.Ds of most hospitals are using the money meant for making drugs available for the patients to fund some other selfish things. And guess what the heads of pharmacy department would not say a word. Why? It is because they are damn too selfish and can’t sacrifice for others. They are only interested in themselves and don’t want to do anything to jeopardize their position. If the reverse where the case, heads would have been chopped off.

Instead of fighting for the right things to be done pharmacists are busy fighting each other. The 'pull down the other person' syndrome is so rampant in all the aspects of pharmacy. If it is not the ACPN dragging pharmacy down, it would be the older ones who don’t want the younger ones to head positions in the pharmacy body or the older ones in the various association or aspects of pharmacy believing that a younger one should not be promoted over an older one even though the older one has not proven his or her self. I don’t get all the crap that goes on in pharmacy. Growing up i knew it to be that if you worked hard you get placed in a higher position, now what i can see is if you stay for some certain years, it is your right to get a higher position. even if you don't come to work half of the time and are lazy....*shakingmyhead.

What has totally angered me recently was the event that happened at Federal Staff Hospital in Abuja a few days ago. If we were always ready to fight for our right the c.m.d won't have tried what she did. The belongings of the head of pharmacy was thrown out and the office was given to the head of clinical service. Then the pharmacists declared that they had had enough and decided to lock up the pharmacies and go on strike. I read the newspaper article and the stupid comment that was made by the C.M.D was 'that the head of pharmacy was been investigated for missing drugs' and I said that is total BULLSHIT!!!

Missing drugs my foot!! I don’t believe a word she said. We deal with drugs which translates to money and to the surprise of many of the other healthcare members we don’t usually steal them. Anybody that is caught stealing we would quickly remove. But they don’t believe that. I can't count the amount of people who walk up to us and expect free drugs. How can people who are being paid walk into the hospital pharmacy to request for drugs without money and expect us to give them just because they are staff members? A couple of days ago, a staff member came in and requested for Tabs vitamin c and I directed him to my boss and she told him to pay 20 naira for the drug. Lo and behold he left the pharmacy saying he can’t pay. I used to give people then pay for the drugs but they would not know that I did that. But having seen that we have so many enemies who are watching us, I decided to stop it. Who knows tomorrow someone would say we are giving drugs for free.

There was a particular period when we could not access any of the vehicles to use (even though we have 2 buses dedicated to DRF) and distribute drugs from the bulk store to the pharmacy units so pharmacists in the units that had cars would go to the bulk store to get the drugs so that the patients would not suffer but we had to stop it when someone came and claimed that in a certain hospital, pharmacists were seen loading drugs into their cars and chartering it away. And that pissed the heck out of us. What if the situation we were facing was what they were facing? They didn’t do their investigations but concluded with their corrupt minds.Everybody doesn't have the mind or attitude of a thief!

Now I gave those examples because until I see proof that the HOD, pharmacy of that hospital was stealing drugs I don’t believe a word that c.m.d said. I have a friend who works there and they are standing by their HOD. If it was not an attack on pharmacists, why was a temporary replacement for the HOD not placed in the office uhn? Why did they throw his things out and then place the head of clinical science in his office? Why would someone be sacked for asking for clarification from a doctor for a poorly written prescription? Can she answer my questions? I think not! Karma is sure to catch up with her.

It is this kind of rubbish pharmacists have been enduring because we are too scared of doing anything. I am extremely proud of the pharmacists at the federal staff hospital, Abuja for taking a stand and saying enough is enough!! I am sure the c.m.d was surprised when the pharmacists locked up the dispensaries. She must have never thought that pharmacists would have the guts to do it. I am now hoping that the revolution would spread to other hospitals and aspects of pharmacy so that pharmacy in Nigeria can move forward. It is high time we sacrifice for the future of pharmacy.

Like Mandela said when the ANC didn’t want to use violence to press their case, “sebatana ha se bokwe ka diatla” (“ The attacks of the wild beast cannot be stopped with only bare hands”). Soon if the older ones don’t want to fight for the right thing, they would be the first casualties because the younger ones want things to change and we are tired of the bitchy attitude of the past. We are men of honor and we stand together!

I just had to write these guys, it didn’t seem fair for me to state what was wrong with the doctors and their strike and not show the faults that pharmacists have. By the way, the doctors seem to have called off their strike. However one of the things that was done seems to have bitten them right back in their ass. What? Their removal from IPPIS scheme. What happened you might ask, I don’t think I would tell you. I am sure we would be hearing about it soon. Like I said before, I am on a sit down look position. All the best to them in their struggle. I have my fight to fight. I may not be the best person to lead but I am determined that my children would meet pharmacy at a better state than I met it and if I have to break bottles on people’s heads to get pharmacy there, so be it!

Thanks for reading and have a lovely week.

Love ya,

Petite Diva