… Advocate for ethical, collaborative practice

By Chioma Obinna

Scientists have called on pharmacists to prioritise research and ethical practice over immediate financial gain, stressing that the cornerstone of effective pharmacy practice lies in rigorous research.

The experts also warned that genetic variations and other individual factors can significantly impact drug efficacy.

In his submission at the 2025 Annual Continuing Education Conference of ACPN Lagos, Professor Noel Wanang, a Professor of Pharmacology and Clinical Toxicology at the University of Jos, Professor Noel Wanang who stated that research is the “fulcrum” of progress in the field of pharmacy, highlighted the role of pharmacists in advancing technology and improving drug efficacy.

He stressed that many medications may not work as expected due to genetic differences, enzyme levels, or other factors, underscoring the importance of pharmacists’ involvement in research, even in community pharmacy settings.

“Somebody takes a drug, and it’s not getting better. It’s not as if the sickness is overwhelming the drug. It’s not as if the drug is not effective. There may be one or two other indices that have not been checked. If we go into research, we can discover that. For instance, you can take a drug and get healed, the same way that I can take that same drug and I will not get healed. It could be because of genomics. My genes are not responding, nor are my body system, and my level of enzymes. There are so many factors that come into play.

“As pharmacists, the only person that should be able to develop, to uncover, to unveil these is the researcher. So you are in a community pharmacy, yes. Can you sit down to document what you do about medication and medication therapy outcomes? Can you do that in your community outlet? If we can do that, it’s going to up pharmacy practice in the country and it’s going to have a long way in drug safety.

He stressed that “whatever we do today is research,” urging pharmacists to transcend traditional dispensing roles and actively contribute to advancing technology and improving patient outcomes through meticulous documentation and monitoring of medication therapy.

“I am encouraging them to go into research and collaboration; they are in the community pharmacy, but their mind is always focused on commerce. Their mind could be focused on buying and selling, but that shouldn’t be the issue. The issue should be that we must apply the knowledge that we learned in school. They taught us so many things, but we’re not applying them,” he added.

He encouraged practitioners to document and monitor medication therapy outcomes, which could significantly enhance the practice and drug safety in Nigeria.




https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/03/beyond-dispensing-drive-research-for-better-drug-efficacy-experts-tell-pharmacists/