The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has inducted 68 fresh entrants trained at Bingham University, Karu, Nasarawa State.
Its registrar, Ibrahim Ahmed, who performed the induction and oath-taking ceremony on Tuesday, lauded the resilience and doggedness of the inductees.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the freshmen were inducted at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the institution.
Ahmed congratulated the inductees for their hard work, determination, and diligence that had paid off.
He described oath-taking and induction as two of the key requirements prescribed by the PCN Establishment Act, which must be fulfilled before freshmen can be registered as pharmacists.
“As you take the oath today and become inducted members of the pharmacy profession, I urge you to maintain high ethical standards and leadership skills as prescribed by the PCN.
“You must endeavour to be worthy professionals and strive toward excellence.
“As pharmacists, you are expected to get yourself acquainted with the code of professional ethics.
“You must ensure strict compliance with the code of ethics, and always remember that this is your guide to becoming a respectable member of this profession.
“After being registered, you would have an equal opportunity to positively compete with your colleagues.
“Always note, too, that there is no limitation to where each of you can get to in life,” he added.
He said that they could practice in the industry, community, hospital, administration, research, ICT, journalism, and governance.
“It means that you have a lot of opportunities ahead of you,” he said.
He urged them to identify mentors that would guide them through their areas of interest.
He cautioned them against unwholesome practices, as the council would not accept such from them.
“Refrain from any act of misconduct, as this will be treated with all seriousness.
“The PCN Act has procedures for sanctioning professional misconduct. Don’t be caught on the wrong side,” he said.
The institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kuje Haruna, commended PCN for organising the induction and oath-taking ceremonies and described the graduates as “well-trained professionals.”.
He regretted the small number of professionals available to Nigerians, noting that there was one pharmacist among the 13,385 Nigerians.
“This is a far cry from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended ratio of one pharmacist to 2,000.
“Among the factors responsible for the ratio is inadequate manpower; Bingham University is delighted to fill this gap,” he said.
He congratulated the 68 graduates who had worked tirelessly to be counted among those worthy to partake in the event.
Haruna added that the graduates had accepted to work with the highest sense of professionalism and ethical standards to provide quality pharmaceutical services.
“I urge you to adhere strictly to the oath and ethics of the profession because we have inculcated in you the core values of Christian faith during your time here.
“I want you to stick to those core values and follow the rules of your profession; if you do this, there is no limit to how far you can go in life,” Haruna said.
He urged them to be good ambassadors of Binghamton University while also being worthy ambassadors of Christ.
“Pharmacy is a noble profession with huge opportunities, but ensure that the medicines you dispense are genuine.
The guest speaker, Chamberlin Onuoha, emphasised the need to promote professionalism, especially in a sensitive field like medicine.
The Dean, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prof. John Alfa, appreciated the invited guests for their time, teachings, advice, and support.
He said that the dream of the institution was to make the faculty a centre of excellence for drug research and development, including phytomedicine, which is considered a low-hanging fruit.
NAN reports that the ceremony featured a presentation of awards to the best students in different categories, with winners receiving books and cash.
The best graduating student, Ezinne Kanu, delivered a valedictory speech on behalf of her colleagues, where she thanked the lecturers for their efforts.
She advised fellow inductees to always remain optimistic in life.(NAN)
