PHARMACY WEEK / WORLD PHARMACY DAY CELEBRATION 2025, THEME: THINK HEALTH, THINK PHARMACISTS

SPEECH FOR PHARMACY WEEK / WORLD PHARMACISTS DAY 2025

Delivered by: Pharm. Babalola Osabiya Taiwo FPSN
Chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Ondo State
Date: 25th September 2025

Distinguished colleagues, esteemed elders of our noble profession, invited guests, ladies and gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to the celebration of Pharmacy Week 2025 and the commemoration of World Pharmacists Day.

The theme for this year’s celebration, “Think Health, Think Pharmacists,” could not have been more appropriate. It perfectly reflects the central role of the Pharmacy profession in healthcare as an indispensable stakeholder in healing and well-being.

Pharmacy is not just a profession, it is a noble calling, rooted in history and service. From the palaces of Pharaohs in ancient Egypt, where remedies were prepared for Kings, to the biblical account of King Hezekiah, where herbs were applied to heal infection, the foundation of Pharmacy has always been healing and restoration. Over centuries, mankind has studied plants, minerals, animals, and natural resources, developing the science of phytomedicine and gradually refining it into dosage forms: oral, parenteral, and inhalation. Today, Pharmacy also extends to the manufacturing of materials and medical devices.

In Nigeria, this noble story took a structured form in 1927 with the establishment of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), which has since grown to every state of the federation as the strong voice and custodian of our profession.

The pharmacy has witnessed a remarkable transformation. From apothecaries compounding herbs and tinctures in small bottles, we now embrace cutting-edge technology, biotechnology, nanomedicine, personalised therapy, and digital health solutions. The scope of Pharmacy today is vast, encompassing community practice, academia, research and development, industrial pharmacy, regulatory affairs, and hospital consultancy services.

A striking transformation is evident in our hospital services. The old order of merely dispensing medicines has given way to expert clinical consultations, where Pharmacists review prescriptions, monitor therapies, prevent harmful interactions, and optimise outcomes. Indeed, every patient who leaves his home for the hospital does so with one expectation: to see the Physician and to return home with medicines that will take care of his ailment. This is the confidence every patient has in the Pharmacy. A visit to the hospital without medicines is a disappointment, an unacceptable adventure. That is how important the Pharmacist is in health service delivery.

Pharmacists have made landmark contributions to medicine worldwide: from vaccines to antiretrovirals, novel drug delivery systems to groundbreaking phytomedicine research. In Nigeria, the Nigerian Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) stands as testimony to this relevance, driving research into local remedies and innovations.

Beyond laboratories and hospitals, Pharmacists have also touched communities. Through its technical arm, ACPN, it has organised campaigns against counterfeit drugs, championed the fight against substance abuse, and delivered health outreaches in schools, marketplaces, motor parks, and rural areas. Our medical outreaches, particularly those championed by the Young Pharmacists Group (YPG), have touched the less privileged both in our cities and in hard-to-reach rural communities. These efforts have not only improved health outcomes but also helped reduce insecurity in society by stemming drug abuse and its link to crime. Indeed, when you empower a community with safe medicines and health education, you also build a safer society.

Pharmaceutical Society Of Nigeria, Ondo State

Today marks the fourth day, the closing day of our Pharmacy Week activities. I must express my profound appreciation to the Pharmacy Week Committee, led by our Vice Chairman, Pharm. (Mrs.) Yemisi Akerejola, for her tireless leadership and coordination, and to the YPG Chairman, Pharm. Mubarak Okikiola, for his outstanding effort and sacrifice.

I am happy that our children are already stepping into our shoes. We truly have capable hands to succeed us and do even better. These are the modern leaders who will shape and rule the future of Pharmacy practice.

We also celebrate those who laid the foundation for today’s vibrant YPG, including past coordinators such as Pharm. Nelson, Pharm. Miss Jumoke Akinye and Pharm. Miss Tolu Adamolekun, PharmD, whose sacrifice and dedication repositioned YPG in Ondo State.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Ondo State, therefore deems it fit to acknowledge and celebrate their stewardship, with MAW this afternoon. Their efforts remind us that leadership is about service, sacrifice, and creating pathways for those coming after.

My address will not be complete without the appreciation of the Board of Fellows (BOF), past Chairmen of PSN, Chairmen of technical groups and all past Exco members who laid solid foundations. In a very special way, we posthumously honour our fallen heroes and heroines of Pharmacy. May their noble souls rest in perfect peace.

At this point, I will kindly ask that all the active committee members who worked tirelessly for this Pharmacy Week stand up for recognition. We salute your dedication and commitment.

Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, the theme of this year’s celebration, “Talk Health, Talk Pharmacists,” is more than a slogan, it is our reality. The Pharmacist is, and will continue to be, an indispensable partner in health, both in Nigeria and across the world.

As we leave here today, let us remember that we carry the burden of others in service to humanity.

May God bless the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria.

May God bless Ondo State.

May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Thank you.