A Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Administration at the University of Lagos, Emmanuel Nwanolue Anyika, has called for the application of management principles in all practice areas of the Pharmacy profession for better service outcomes.
That was the nucleus of the Inaugural Lecture delivered by Professor Anyika on Wednesday, June 7, 2023 at the J.F. Ade-Ajayi Auditorium, Akoka. The Lecture, titled: Navigating the Pharmaceutical and Management Sciences in our World of Healthcare Uncertainty; is the University’s 20th Inaugural Lecture for the 2021/2022 Academic Session.
Starting from his foray into Management Sciences, after practising as a certified Clinical Pharmacist, Professor Anyika made a compelling case for an “Integrated Curriculum that will blend the teaching of principles of Management Sciences with core Pharmacy courses”.
“There is an urgent need for the application of management principles in all areas of Pharmacy practice. That way, we can ensure that the upcoming generation of pharmacists are business-savvy and better equipped for success in the marketplace”, he said.
He took on the interrogation of many issues in the Nigerian health system and the challenges that confront the sustainable delivery of healthcare under conditions of uncertainty. He evaluated uncertainties arising from prescribing, dispensing and medication administration errors in the health system, and reported their impacts on pharmaceutical care and patient outcomes.
Professor Anyika noted that, like other professions in the country, the Pharmacy profession also has its fair share of personnel development and retention challenges. He propsosed Pharmacy Management as the missing link to successful professional development for the pharmacist. He also proposed models of management imperatives for a well-developed pharmaceutical sector in Nigeria.
Professor Emmanuel Nwaolue Anyika started his teaching career in 1990 as an Associate Lecturer in the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos. He became Lecturer II in 1994 and rose through the ranks to become a Professor in 2019. His areas of research interest are Pharmacy Management, Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacotherapeutics.
