HISTORY
The Faculty of Pharmacy was incepted as a School in the College of Medicine, University of Lagos in 1980. The foundation units, Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy were created by Senate of the University in 1980. The two departments were then based in the School of Basic Medical Sciences. Given the necessary interactions between the University of Lagos and the Pharmacy Board of Nigeria (now Pharmacists Council of Nigeria), which is, the regulatory Body in charge of Pharmacy education, there were developments in terms of infrastructure, academic staff recruitment and development, teaching and research facilities, curriculum and programme expansion. The School was later restructured into 4 departments viz:
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology and the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Biopharmacy. The School was officially recognized by the Pharmacy Board (now Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) in May 1984 as an academic institution authorized by the Laws of the Land to train and graduate degree holders in Pharmacy in line with the appropriate tenets of the University of Lagos. The School of Pharmacy produced its first Bachelor of Pharmacy graduates in September 1984. Further developments within the School continued, and with the assistance of the University Authorities, the School attained the status of a Full fledged Faculty of the University of Lagos in 2003.
Philosophy
The philosophy of the Faculty is to ensure the establishment of standard and quality Pharmacy education which, the student must acquire to enable him/her give and demonstrate adequate professional competence in the various pharmaceutical services which include: Procurement, storage, dispensing of drugs, preparation, compounding, packaging of drugs and medicaments and monitoring drug utilization by patients. Educating patients concerning appropriate use of their prescription and non-prescription medication, providing drug information to other health professionals e.g. veterinarians and physicians; Collecting and evaluating data from the patients, other health care professionals, the literature and past experience as an aid to drug therapy judgment, reviewing scientific publications in order to maintain and add to acquired professional knowledge.
Participating in productively during clinical ward rounds and seminars in hospital based practice and settings.
Participating in drug and pharmaceutical production and quality assurance in the industries.
Participating in Good Clinical Practice, Public Health Pharmacy, Management and Pharmacy Administration.
Growth of the Faculty
The Faculty continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Amidst encouragement and support by the University Authorities, some of the benefits accruing onto pharmacy, in the bid to maintaining academic excellence, include: The facilitation of the attainment of Faculty Status from the collegiate system and sustenance of the Faculty.
Provision of teaching and research equipment, and other laboratory items
Provision of two well equipped Faculty based research laboratories, apart from the Central Research Laboratory of the University of Lagos, Akoka.
Employment of additional academic staff.
Encouraging staff development programmes especially ICT based programmes.
The Faculty now has four postgraduate programmes (VIZ: MSc./MPhil/PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacognosy, Pharmaceutics &Pharmaceutical Technology and Clinical Pharmacy & Biopharmacy) which have served as templates for the training of about 50 PhD holders. Academic staff development is a very important concern for the University. The Faculty of Pharmacy continues to produce manpower in the different facets of the nation’s economy and industrial growth. The Faculty academic staff and researchers have lived up to their billing by winning numerous academic laurels.
GENERAL PHILOSOLPHY OF THE PHARMACY DEGREE (DECLASSIFIED) PROGRAMME
Pharmacy may be defined as that profession concerned with the art and science of preparing from natural (plants, animals, minerals, microorganisms etc.) and synthetic sources, suitable materials and medicaments for use in the treatment and prevention of diseases. A thorough knowledge of the formulation procedures, storage, distribution and safe use of these medicinal preparations is subsumed in the above definition. Pharmacy is therefore a science based profession which is strongly predicated on studies in the areas of the pure and applied physical, chemical and biological and technological sciences.
The general philosophy of pharmacy richly endowed education is to procure and develop well educated persons – persons developed in knowledge, mind and character. The ultimate objective of any professional education is to produce practitioners with adequate knowledge and skills who will provide professional and useful service to the native country and mankind. The undergraduate education in pharmacy is designed and intended to prepare men and women for the profession of pharmacy. The philosophy of pharmacy education borders on the establishment of standards to ensure quality pharmacy education.
The Pharmacists is trained and educated for a wide range of scientific, professional and managerial functions, which best serve the needs of the community and possess sufficient adaptability to meet the demands and challenges of a changing health care delivery system. Summarily put, pharmacy education must be directed towards providing competency for performing all pharmaceutical services in Nigeria and these involve:
The ability to source for drug materials;
Preparing the drug in the form suitable for administration.
Ensuring the total quality assurance of the final product.
Drug distribution to accredited and qualified customers.
Surveillance procedures aimed at minimizing misuse and abuse.
Providing professional information on drugs at various levels of health care delivery.
Organizing, educational activities through seminars, workshops aim at enhancing pharmaceutical knowledge.
The following have been considered as appropriate competencies (objectives) which, when acquired by the student will give adequate professional recognition for the various services.
(i) Procurement, storage and dispensing of drugs
(ii) Preparation, compounding and packaging of drugs and medicaments.
(iii) Monitoring drug utilization by patients.
(iv) Educating patients concerning appropriate use of their prescription and non-prescription medication.
(v) Providing drug information to other health professionals e.g. veterinarians and physicians.
(vi) Collecting and evaluating data from the patient, other health care professionals, the literature and past experience as an aid to drug therapy judgment;
(vii) Reviewing scientific publications in order to maintain and add to acquired professional knowledge.
Pre-requisite Subjects:
Any professional curriculum must be based upon a firm foundation of basic courses. In Pharmacy, these are courses in the physical and biological sciences. The understanding of the biological action of drugs requires knowledge of the fundamental principles of human anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. A good appreciation of mathematics as applied to biological and physiochemical systems is required.
Pharmaceutical Sciences: An important phenomenon in pharmacy is that the degree course is an integrated study of the pharmaceutical sciences. Traditionally, at least four core subjects have been studied, but the boundaries between them are not distinct as emphasis is placed on their interrelationships. Basic to all pharmacy professional curricula are offerings in:
Pharmaceutical Chemistry: The study of the structure and properties of Chemical substances of natural and synthetic origin which are used in medicine, and the relationship of these structures to biological activity. This study includes physical, inorganic, organic, analytical, synthetic, medicinal chemistry, and physical instrumentation.
Pharmacognosy: The study of the biology, biochemistry, purification, analysis, and commerce of natural (plant and animal) drugs.
Pharmaceutics & Pharmaceutical Technology and Pharmaceutical Microbiology: The study and application of physical and physicochemical properties of substances used in medicine to the formulation and production of medicinal products. It includes the study of pharmaceutical formulations and dispensing, technology, pharmaceutical microbiology, physical and forensic pharmacy.
Pharmacology: The study of the biological action and use of drugs. It includes the study of human diseases and their chemotherapy, the uses side effects of drugs and what the body does to the drugs.
Clinical Pharmacy and Biopharmacy: This is the area of pharmacy training with emphasis on drug administration, drug performance and interactions, and drug supplies to the users. In practice, it is patient-oriented and includes not only the dispensing of required medication, but also advising the patient on the proper use of all medications. It also prepares the future pharmacist to play the proper role as an information source and adviser to the other health professionals on all matters related to drugs and their dosage forms and toxicity. Biopharmacy is the aspect which deals with the properties of the drug dosage forms in the body as they affect the bioavailability and hence therapeutic effectiveness.
Pharmacy Practice and Management: Instructions in general administration and management principles, pharmacy business administrations and the principles and practices of business and law, as they apply to pharmacy practices.
Finally all pharmacy students receive instructions on the national existing laws affecting the practice of pharmacy (forensic pharmacy), and on the Ethics of Pharmacy Profession. The pharmacist trained by this programme will be able to apply proficiently the theoretical and practical knowledge of the sciences listed above, and will be competent to work in the Pharmaceutical industry, hospital and primary health care, teaching, research, and community pharmacy services.