Practicing Pharmacy in an IT World as (Wo)Men of Honour.
by Olusanya Akanmu
Shoutout to Bola Lawal for stating the obvious (laughs)…
Many Nigerian YPs are bored and unimpressed with the financial rewards of the readily available pharmacy jobs (Community, Hospital or Industry). The vast network of opportunities available in the online space is increasingly courting pharmacists away from the cubicle. These days, you find YPs choosing copywriting, IT or FX over dispensing medications or counseling patients. The thing is, pharmacists are some of the smartest people on the planet, and smart people do not settle for less. To a large extent, “less” in the Nigerian context translates to low remuneration before any other criterion, because to buy overpriced food or change your worn-out shoes, you may have to do more than present yourself as a man of honour. More than ever, money is a huge motivating factor and maybe for now, many pharmacy jobs at the entry level do not assure that enough.
Amongst these alternative paths that YPs are threading, I am most fascinated about technology. This is because it is a unique industry that pharmacists in core pharmacy practices can leverage on to assert themselves and improve their value. Like every other sector in the economy, technology can augment the operations and processes of the professional and by extension the profession. A sound argument for the recent burst in IT in Africa and Nigeria particularly is that beyond the immense population, the African business environment is characterised by so many challenges. Since technology seeks to make life easier by obliterating the word problems — technically — , it’s not surprising to see many tech start-ups grow.
In a typical pharmacy, automated systems can reduce the error rate in tasks like dispensing and inventory control. It has become imperative for the modern pharmacist to be proficient in using these tools to improve efficiency and help achieve therapeutic goals. Beyond this, there have been successes with utilising algorithms in improving database management, drug information services and patient counselling. More so, the advent of 3D database searching in drug design, crude drug identification and bulk drug manufacture have revolutionized the pharmaceutical industry and broadened the horizons of career paths. It is important to state that there are start-ups already in Nigeria integrating technology into pharmacy. Wellahealth, a startup in Lagos provides insurance for Malaria, by working with about 3000 pharmacies to provide health insurance. Also, Famasi Africa provides integrated health services not limited to patients with chronic conditions, but also offers essential health services and provides sexual health plan for patients in Nigeria.
Africa is a unique climate for healthcare professionals. The crushing health indicators have made emigration to Europe and America the “African dream” for healthcare professionals. However, Nigerian pharmacists can position themselves strategically to flow with the blaring but beautiful wind of technological change reverberating across the continent.
Are we joining hands to tech-up or what?
