The Igbinedion University, Okada in Edo, says it has set up a tablet-manufacturing factory to meet the local needs of its teaching hospital and the host community.

The university’s vice-chancellor, Lawrence Ezemonye, disclosed this on Wednesday during the 13th oath-taking/induction ceremony for 101 pharmacy graduates of the 2022/2023 session.

He explained that the facility was domiciled in the university’s Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology.

“It was designed for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, research, extemporaneous compounding, as well as production of tablets. The institution has also built an automated line for the production of antiseptics, disinfectants and reagents.

“This will further strengthen our teaching and research and meet the immediate aseptic needs of the University Teaching Hospital and other health institutions in the state,” he said.

The vice-chancellor urged the inductees to cultivate a sense of purpose in their profession.

Rather than just being medicine dispensers, Mr Ezemonye advised the new pharmacists to advocate for premium health and well-being.

Performing the oath-taking on the inductees, Ibrahim Ahmed, the registrar of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), urged them to maintain ethical standards of the profession.

The council, he said, frowned seriously at professional misconduct of any sort and would not hesitate to sanction any erring member. The PCN registrar urged the inductees to take their internship programme seriously and specialise while building their careers.

Meanwhile, in his induction lecture, Paul Enebeli described the role of pharmacy in healthcare delivery as pivotal and needed to be optimised. 

(NAN)