Experts in pharmacy have urged newly inducted pharmacists at Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, to serve as bridge builders in healthcare practice.
The call was made during the 15th induction and oath-taking ceremony of the university, where 149 pharmacy graduates were officially licensed.
Delivering the induction lecture, Mr Bankole Ezebuilo, Managing Director of Kayhelt Pharmaceuticals Ltd, urged the inductees to combine scientific expertise with compassion and professionalism.
Ezebuilo, who is also the Chairman of the Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria, stressed that modern pharmacy practice extends beyond drug dispensing to connecting research, manufacturing, regulation, and patient care.
According to him, pharmacists occupy a central role in medicine development, from the laboratory to the patient’s bedside.
“Pharmacists are trained in the full journey of medicine—from molecule to medicine and from factory to patient. That breadth of training is what makes pharmacy a pillar of healthcare,” he said.
The expert noted that pharmacists play critical roles in drug formulation, clinical development, manufacturing, regulation, and pharmacovigilance.
He added that the responsibility of new pharmacists does not end with dispensing.
“Your white coat gives you authority, your knowledge gives you power, but your humanity gives you impact,” he told the inductees, urging them to prioritize communication and empathy in patient care.
The Vice-Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, said the graduates were entering the profession at a time of growing responsibility and opportunity.
Ezemonye described pharmacists as caregivers, educators, and vital links in healthcare delivery, stressing that each patient represents more than a prescription.
“Your ability to translate complex drug information into compassionate care will determine the quality of your impact,” he said.
Conducting the induction, the Registrar of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, Ibrahim Ahmed, urged the inductees to uphold ethical standards.
Ahmed, who was represented by Mr Azeeh Mande of the council’s South-South Zonal Office, explained that the next stage of their professional journey would involve a compulsory one-year internship in accredited centres, followed by the pre-registration examination for pharmacists.
