I really don't get NMA again. They keep publishing statements that keep damaging their image. I have said it that the excos need a public relations consultant that would tell them what to write and what not to write. For my non medical and non Nigerian peeps, NMA is Nigerian Medical Association. It is an association that is supervise the doctors and whatever their other duties are, i don't know. But basically it is for doctors and limited to things that concern doctors not pharmacists or nurses or laboratory scientists.
Hence when i saw this on facebook i knew that they have started putting themselves in trouble again. Here is the part that made me laugh so hard...
'On pharmacy issues, the NMA NOC insists that Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria can inspect their Pharmaceutical “Shops” and not HOSPITALS. The HOSPITALS are inspected by the Director of Medical Services in the States and the intrusion of any other body should be vehemently repudiated and any attempt to invade Hospitals should be handled as insurgency, compounded with insubordination.
The NMA also insists that the Medical Laboratory council should only inspect their laboratories outside hospital premises. The NOC would want to see well developed laboratories to serve the population, whereby the services can be outsourced from Hospitals Services if the situation arises. They should not however come under the roof of Hospitals. If such happens, the State should be alerted with the Law Enforcement Agencies.'
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But recently a lot of crap has been going on and majority has been because pharmacists have been too weak to stand up for their rights. I don't see why a private hospital should have a pharmacy and not employ a pharmacist (not that they could afford to pay the pharmacist anyway). They sell the drugs for a very high amount and most of the time tell the 'nurse' to remove the label on the drugs. Which reminds me....THIS IS A BIG WARNING TO YOU ALL, NEVER EVER EVER ALLOW ANYBODY TO GIVE YOU AN UNLABELLED DRUG!!! AN UNLABELLED DRUG IS A POISON AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO EITHER HARM YOU OR KILL YOU!! If the doctor or nurse cannot give you the drug with the label on it, refuse it. Most drugs look alike and they could end up giving you the wrong one.
Anyway enough with the public announcement. Okay where was i, so they don't employ a pharmacist and the pharmacist is the custodian of drugs. In the government run hospitals, the pharmacies are a money making machine for the medical directors. There is this scheme that was founded to make sure that there s always money to purchase drugs without waiting for the budget for drugs, it is called Drug Revolving Fund (DRF). But nowadays the aim of the fund has been defeated. The money is now used for the stupidiest (forgive my words) of things ever. The money is never for the pharmacy or drugs, it is even controlled by non pharmacists. I am really mad!
The pharmacists in the hospital are supposed to make sure that there is money in the account that they can squander on whatever pleases them. You are not supposed to state what you need in the pharmacy that would improve the working conditions of the staff, you are not supposed to let them what drugs are desperately needed in the pharmacy, you are not supposed to let the doctor know when he writes something wrong, you are to dispense as such because he or she is always right. You dare not refuse to give a drug to a doctor when he illegally and arrogantly asks for it because he is the leader of the hospital, you would receive the insult of your life. And when the money that was generated for the purchase of drugs has been spent by the said 'managerial doctors' and there is now no money to buy drugs and you are the one that has no idea of your job. You are termed useless. I had no idea that i was not only a pharmacist but also a witch that can conjure things out of thin air....*gofigure* It is incredible the amount of insult that pharmacists receive (let me personalise it, that i have received).
Now that PCN has finally realised what is going on in the pharmacies in the hospitals, NMA is talking like a headless chicken. What's up doc?....*inbugsbunnyvoice* Why you scared? Afraid that your pot of gold is about to be shut down. In case NMA does not know, a pharmacy in the hospital is still a pharmacy under the jurisdiction of PCN so they can shut down any pharmacy they so desire. And saying that PCN should not come to the hospital to check the PHARMACY is ridiculous. Do the right thing, a pharmacy is not a supermarket. Follow the rules, allow the pharmacists to do their job and at the end of the day all of us including the patients would be happy.
And the same sentiments goes for the threat to the laboratory scientists. Like come on! Did i just read that they should alert the law enforcement agencies?.....hahaha. Please know your rights before you talk uhn. I really do wonder if NMA has lawyers, honestly! Please watch what you say before you get embarrassed like the AIG of Police who thought he was the Lord and Master of all.
Honestly i am embarrassed for my friends who are doctors, their leaders keep messing up. Can anybody let me know how they were chosen because something ain't right. I hope they eventually realise their mistakes and retract their statement. And my dears (NMA) if PCN my governing body says i should lock the pharmacy in the hospital because the operation of the pharmacy is faulty, i would gladly do so. Not even the Minister of Health would make me open it unless directed by PCN because i can always get another job in any pharmacy speciality but i can't get my license from anywhere but PCN. Enough said, like they would say 'make una give yourself brain o' (try to think well).
That is enough for today. I have to sleep. I am so sure that i would get hate for this but hey this lady is gradually getting a tough skin. I laugh really well when the hate comes and catwalk pass it.....*flippingmybrazilianbraidsandstruttingtherunwaylikeiownit*
Thanks for stopping by...
Luv ya,
Petite Diva....
Beautiful post but I think pharmacists have been negligent in their duties, it's amazing that in 2014 we're even discussing whether PCN has jurisdiction over pharmacies in hospitals. They should have put their foot down years ago.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I don't honestly blame most doctors who run their hospitals without a pharmacist, the pharmacist claims to be the custodian of drugs but he rarely offers anything special in the hospital pharmacy setting. You'll find that the pharmacist abdicates his responsibilities to Pharm technicians and the like, while I agree that this doesn't occur in all hospitals (I did my internship in NOHIL and such practices did not exist there) but a good number of hospital pharmacists in federal and state hospitals do this. In my fifth year I did one phase of my clinical clerkship in a big missionary hospital (the hospital is bigger than most general hospitals and even had its own school of nursing) in Edo state. The hospital had only one pharmacist, who didn't come to work everyday and was only around for a few hours on the days he decides to come. There's no patient counselling at that hospital and drugs are handled and dispensed by nurses. This hospital is the biggest maternity and paediatric hospital in the state and the pharmacist in that hospital had made himself and his profession redundant.
Now if you were a doctor who decides to model your hospital after that place, would you hire a pharmacist?
NMA's leadership have always been hilarious, they'll always continue to be. Other professionals just have to step up their game so that just as it's almost unthinkable for a non doctor to carry out surgery so should it be unthinkable for someone to encroach into another health professional's area of specialty.
Honestly we are our biggest problem. How can you leave your duty post ehen? After when things not desirable happen they would be screaming blue murder. We need military rule in Pharmacy/PCN so that we can sit up. Thanks for checking my blog, Ada...
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