- PANS National

PHARMEDIA
"A Publication of Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students (PANS),
National Secretariat, University of Lagos."
May, 2013
Sugar; the deadly love affair
PHARMACY;
A profession finding its place
Much ado about
FASHION
The lady; her lover
and his football
15
easy ways to cut
calories and lose weight
PROFESSIONALISM IN PHARMACY;
Implementing the vision in a dynamic continuum
+ Exclusive interviews with Mazi1 Ohuabunwa, Prof. Ogunlana ...
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3
CONTENT
Features:
Pharmacy Practice and the Fresh Graduate
Pharmacy; a profession finding its place
Liposomal Drug Delivery Systems
Updates:
Margaret Thatcher
Medication Adherence
Young Pharmacists Group-FIP
IPSF
Interviews:
Mazi Ohuabunwa(Life patron of PANS national)
Professor Ogunlana(The first Nigerian dean of
the first Faculty of Pharmacy in Nigeria)
Insights and Perspec ves:
The lady; her lover and his football
Professionalism in Pharmacy: Implementing
the vision in a dynamic continuum
Real Mentor
Do you think the heart is the perfect organ of love?
Success is an attitude
Radioactive students
Take Responsibility for your life
Pharmacy; a Profession or an Occupation?
Health:
15 easy ways to cut calories and lose weight
Tuberculosis
Live longer with your eyes closed
Nutri on:
Sugar; the deadly love affair
Benefits of drinking water
10 health benefits of A, B, C
Entertainment and Fashion:
End of the tunnel
Who is to blame?
Much ado about fashion
Funny and interesting facts
Sports:
The secret to a successful sporting career
The 19-year wait
Jokes and Poems:
Uphill and down dale
The Pharmacy Student
Remind Yourself
My Apology
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FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK
With utmost gratitude to God and also to my editorial board
members, I present to you this edition of Pharmedia magazine
which will definitely hold you spellbound and will educate,
inform and entertain you to the fullest measure as it contains
lots of well structured and brilliantly articulated write-ups that
are mind blowing. This edition contains several articles on
health, sports, insight, features, nutrition, perspectives,
fashion, entertainment and exclusive interviews with two
carefully selected, impactful and enviable icons in the
pharmacy profession namely Pharm. Prof. Sir E.O. Ogunlana
(OON, FPSN) who was the first Nigerian dean of the first
Faculty of Pharmacy in Nigeria and Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa
who is the life patron of PANS national.
In this magazine is incorporated a write up on tuberculosis, a
fast growing deadly disease with the highest of its occurrences
in India, China, South Africa, Nigeria and Indonesia
respectively as at 2008; an exposition on success as an attitude;
an insight into the secret to a successful sporting career; a
revelation of who a real mentor is and then a close
look into pharmacy practice and the fresh graduate
which was written by a prolific writer and pharmacist,
Dr. (Mrs.) Arinola Joda; and then the theme of the
magazine being “Professionalism in Pharmacy:
Implementing the vision in a dynamic continuum.”
All these and other topics are aimed at informing,
educating and entertaining you. Keep cool, relax and
be sure to get the best even as you peruse each leaflet.
A feedback from you will be highly appreciated.
Send your comments to [email protected]
Olagunju Muyiwa Joshua
[email protected]
07033862662
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PRESIDENT S NOTE
Pharmacy profession has evolved over the years to
accommodate global changes in scientific innovations,
technology, health reforms and societal impact. Despite
these inevitable transformations, the need for a proven
extent of improvement cannot be overemphasized. The
many challenges faced by the profession may have instigated
setbacks, both directly and indirectly. However, of the several
absurdities, pharmacy profession has obtained sustainable
levels of EXCELLENCE.
Excellence is a talent or quality which is unusually good and
so surpasses ordinary standards. As President, I am delighted
at the level of my unperturbed interest as well as the
enthusiasm generated by Pharmacy students nationwide that
a clear perception of this vision will in no doubt be very
helpful in mobilizing our common goal, with the health of
the society as our passion. Every accomplishment starts with
a decision to try something new, this is a step to achieving
EXCELLENCE.
It is with gratitude to God, great joy and excitement that I, on
behalf of my fellow Executives of PANS National
2012/2013, heads of committees, members of committees
and fellow PANSites of this prestigious association extend a
very warm and hearty welcome to you all to the 38th Annual
National Convention tagged 'EXCELLENCE 2013' in the
university of first choice- University of Lagos. We are deeply honored to have you all from far and near across the
country.
Being a group of pharmacy students with keen interest in promoting improved public health through provision of
information, education, networking, and a range of publications and professional activities in the country, the positive
impact of this great association PANS on lives in years back cannot be over-emphasized, as we are constantly built up in
learning, character and zeal to improve lives and heal the nation sequel to our professional education.
We have identified the need to have a common ground and thus have come this far. It is no doubt that the future of
pharmacy practice in this nation is bright and it must be realized that whatever hope pharmacy education and pharmacy
practice has in controlling its destiny lies with the action or inaction of us Students the future professionals and the
frontiers of her course.
The theme for this year's convention 'EXCELLENCE ' was borne out of the legacy pharmacy profession stands for,
outstanding achievements the profession has encountered, coupled with the fact that the host city has its slogan as
“CENTER OF EXCELLENCE”.
In our time together there will be unique opportunities and ample time for all delegates present to meet and connect
with fellow PANSites, engage in healthy rivalries, network, share ideas and reach a consensus on the way forward for our
noble profession all over the country. Excellent speakers have been carefully selected to speak on various fascinating,
vibrant, compelling, insightful, inspiring, motivating, and above all provocative topics which I can assure you will be of
utmost interest.
I hereby oblige all delegates to participate actively and devotedly in making this convention a huge success as we use the
knowledge of pharmacy's past to improve her future by anticipating likely problems, improving our problem solving
creative abilities and applying efforts to influence the future positively.
Permit me to express my profound gratitude first to God, my family especially my Mother whose support has been of
utmost importance, my fellow National Executive Council members, the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy University
of Lagos and to all whose advice and tutelage was instrumental in the success of this administration. I love you all.
6
Awiligwe Arinze President
PANS EXECUTIVES 2012/2013
Awiligwe Arinze
President
Taiwo Olumoroti J.
Financial Secretary
Adetona Olugbenga
Secretary General
Abidoye Oriyomi
Oloko O. Adejoke
Ohere Angela Florence
Ass. Secretary General Public Relations Officer
Treasurer
Chinedum V. Enyinnanya
Akinnawo Innocent
Student Exchange Officer Regional Editor-in-Chief
Zone A
Olagunju Muyiwa
National Editor-in-chief
Obembe Anthony
Director of Socials
Oskar Nkoli
Regional Editor-in-Chief
Zone B
Gloria Tireng Thomas Amusan Oluwaseun
Regional Editor-in-Chief Director of Sports
Zone C
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7
PHARMACY;
A profession finding its place
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) is the
oldest professional association in Nigeria; but this fact
does not translate to mean that pharmacists have
found their rightful place in the health care delivering
system in the country. The struggle by Nigerian
pharmacists to establish themselves as first class
professionals and drug experts has a long history. The
challenges we meet today are not very different from
those our colleagues in other developed countries
faced and are still facing. However, these challenges
are further compounded by certain factors that will
require our determination and a sense of purpose;
knowing that the future is mostly in our hands.
Pharmacy is a diverse field. It covers all aspects of drug
research, development, manufacture, procurement,
storage, distribution, dispensing, counselling and
pharmacovigilance. This is in addition to academics
and drug regulatory activities. Unfortunately, we are
seen as dispensers [pill counters or drug marketers] of
drugs. We must reflect on our present status, define
where we want to be, identify our difficulties and
strategize to achieve our goals. A major problem we
face is one of identity. We are yet to know who we are,
we tend to underestimate ourselves and this attitude
reflects in our practice.
The public and other health professionals cannot
place us higher than we place ourselves. What are the
reasons for this and what can we do about it???
Habits, traditions and perceptions are difficult to
change and it has been the misfortune of the Nigerian
pharmacist to have had a lowly status at birth. He was
born a child of necessity, as an assistant to the colonial
medical officers who trained him on all sorts of odd
jobs, including dispensing of drugs. Now that he has
become a trained professional, it is difficult to change
the old perception and he must face opposition and
obstacles on his way to claim his rightful position.
Neither the medical officer who instructed and bossed
him, nor the nurse who saw him carrying out
instructions nor the public who knew him as a
common dispenser will find it easy to look at him
differently. Yet, understanding our beginning will help
us understand and tolerate our present and prepare
our future.
It was during the early years where dispensers were
trained on the job that drugs lost their respect. Drugs
needed to be in the country and so they were. But they
were brought in as mere trade commodities by
multinationals like U.A.C. It is no wonder that by the
time the first pharmacists were ready to be born, the
8
field had already been prepared
for chaos and confrontation, as at
that time they were handled by
business men.
By the time few pharmacists
arrived, drugs had reached all
areas in the country and big
corporations had dominated their
trade. The country was overrun
with untrained patent medicine
vendors, who continued to handle
drugs like any other item of
commerce and were later joined
by other drugs peddlers. The
problem created still persists till
date. At the hospital level,
pharmacists still find it difficult to
shed the clock of second class
professionals. Other
professionals still insist on setting
boundaries for us, despite the
world wide trends and the
arduous trainings we undergo.
Some political offices still seem
beyond our reach despite the fact
that, when given the chance,
pharmacists have demonstrated
their ability admirably well. Some
political office holders and health
managers still believe that it is a
smar t move to employ a
pharmacy technician rather than a
pharmacist. Is this a result of a
historical perception or is it
because of our professional
output? In other words, do we
make it clear in the way we
practice that, indeed, we are the
drug expert and we can make a
difference in the health team?
Pharmacists are battling on many
fronts and the odds are mighty,
but our armoury is in our hands.
We must take our profession
seriously. We are not traders in
commodities or dispensers of
drugs. As drug experts it is our
responsibility to provide definite
and additional value to dispensing.
What makes the difference
between a pharmacist and a
dispenser or technician is the
provision of pharmaceutical care
and a continuous acquisition of
up to date information that will
make us a repositor y of
knowledge on drug therapy. It is
when we continuously update
ourselves that we will be confident
to contribute by educating other
professionals. Educating is not
challenging but expressing
consciously and even
unconsciously a superior
knowledge over theirs.
We should be the drug and
medication consultants. We
should champion the rational use
of drugs in our health institutions;
after all, pharmaceutical care is the
responsible provision of drug
therapy in order to achieve set
therapeutic goals.
Our lack of enthusiasm to
claim our position has led to
w o r s e n i n g p o l y p h a r m a c y,
unjustified proliferation of
brands being stocked at the same
time, increased cost of
prescriptions and similar
practices. A lot of our practice
remains undocumented, making
research impossible. As we strive
to reposition ourselves, we should
embrace the spirit of team work.
9
People resist change, more so
when you want to change an old
tradition. The resistance is worse
when they feel threatened.
However and very importantly,
we should learn how to interact
with other health professionals
and avoid open confrontation.
When making our points, we
s h o u l d a vo i d a c c u s a t i o n s,
offensive statements, arguments
and the likes.
We are all working for the patient
and no sane professional will see a
valid point and insist on doing
that which is wrong. We should
always be well prepared to defend
our position, not to “win” our
arguments but to convince the
other party. We look forward to a
near future where the hospital
pharmacist will not need to
initiate the professional
interaction with other health
cadres, but rather, be sought after.
It is comforting that many
hospital pharmacists today have
continued their education by
acquiring post-graduate
qualifications in clinical pharmacy
and related fields. The challenges
now are to put into practice what
knowledge they have acquired;
that is one of the ways to reposition the pharmacist,
especially the hospital pharmacist,
in their rightful place.
By MARKSON E.OGITIE
Su gar
The deadly
affair
possible cause of obesity; as these drinks do not trigger the same
sense of fullness as foods with similar calories; increasing the
risk of overeating.
Studies show that HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP (HFCS);
a cheap form of fructose sugar, used by food and drinks
manufacturing industries as a sweetener; may increase the risk of
developing pancreatic cancer; as well as diabetes ( a metabolic
disease due to high blood sugar, and the inability of the pancreas
to produce enough insulin)
Sugary food consumption can be reduced in the following ways1. Swap sugary drinks for water, low-fat milk or artificially
sweetened drinks to reduce calorie intake
2. Try swapping sugary snacks for fruits, nuts, and
vegetables
3. Try to half the amount of sugar you put in hot drinks,
or cut it out completely
4. Choose canned foods and fruits in natural juice, rather
than in syrup or drinks.
5. Rinse the mouth and teeth with water after every
consumption of sugary foods and drinks
The consumption of sugar and sugar-allied foods has become a
basic, inevitable part of our existence. We know how much we
love the ice-creams (yeah, yeah), the Red velvet cake
(ooooooooooh…!), the biscuits, chocolate cookies, those finger
foods (that make you feel like you are in heaven when you taste
them), and the juices and drinks. We have this wonderful feeling
when we have the sweet taste of sugar in our teas and coffees.
There is no better way to enjoy the doughnuts, but to have it
coated with sugars (Hmmm, how salivating). However, our love
for these sugary foods and drinks can cause a lot of devastating
effects on our health, especially if consumed in excess.
Basically, sugars are simple carbohydrates that taste sweet. They
are of different types, ranging from fructose (sugar from fruits);
sucrose (combination of glucose and fructose units from sugar
cane); lactose (gotten from milk); amongst others. Based on
consumable foods, sugar is classified into those found naturally
in fruits and milk (which are fine and don't need to be cut down);
and those that are added to the diet.
These added sugars can be found in a variety of foods, including
confectionery, soft drinks, desserts, and breakfast cereals. Added
sugars are a great source of energy, but provide no other
nutrients.
Sugary foods and drinks pose a threat to dental health, especially
if consumed between meals. It has been identified to be a
We all love sugar, and we can continue to enjoy sugar if and
only if we can be moderate in our consumption.
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By KENE KINGSLEY
By Onyeuma Chioma
TUNNEL
End of the
My name is Amanda Schmidt. 'What a weird name', you might think (never mind, I
am still a Nigerian). I am a young mother of 4 lovely kids, 2 boys and 2 girls. I am not
of age but the experiences which I have had, have made me 'old' (wiser). I didn't
mention that I have a lovely husband by name, Anderson Schmidt (that was how I
got the name).
I am the second daughter of the 5 children of my parents. I grew up with my
mother as my only parent. My dad died of a terrible disease of unknown origin,
name and cure despite the huge amount of money spent in the best hospitals to save
him. It was strange indeed. If it was now, am positive that with my spiritual and
medical knowledge, a panacea could have been discovered.
I was only 4 years old then, and didn't know 'was sup'. I remember seeing my
dad being placed into a big 'bed' (coffin) with cover which had beautiful flowers all
over it. I think I remembered smiling when I saw the flowers placed on dad. I wanted
mine too, I guess. Then something strange happened, they closed the “bed” where
dad was placed and placed him into 'a big hole' (grave). Dad wasn't moving nor saying
anything. I wanted to jump in as they poured sand on the coffin but mum wouldn't
let me. They were taking dad from me without letting him say goodbye, so I thought.
I ended up eating sand that day as I rolled on the floor. I was so naïve, not knowing
what was happening.
Few months later, dad's relatives came to our house. I was happy to see them
but they were not, as their facial expression was so strong. I was happy because I
11
TUNNEL
End of the
TUNNEL
End of the
TUNNEL
End of the
TUNNEL
End of the
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End of the
degree. I was flown to Germany to obtain my PHD
on scholarship. I worked for few months in
Germany in a big pharmaceutical company owned
by 'The Schmidts'. That was how and where I met my
lovely husband. I had my wedding in Germany with
my mother and siblings and my foster parents (in
Jos) in attendance coupled with my husband's lovely
family and members of staff.
My story begins again; My name is Amanda
Okeoma Schmidt. On this opening ceremony of
my pharmaceutical company in Nigeria, I stand to
read my autobiography to you. I tell you, this is my
testimony, that God can raise one from the
dungeon and place him at the top. In spite of what
you are going through, know for sure that you are
not the first and will definitely not be the last.
Develop the right attitude towards each situation.
Turn to the one who has the power to change your
story to glory and follow him with all your heart.
God can do all things, just seek him hard. I have
heard people say that “anything that can't kill you,
will make you stronger”. I don't know if it is true,
but I sure know that it would change you big time.
What do you think?
TUNNEL
End of the
brother's salary was usually sent to my mum to
enable her feed herself, my other siblings and to pay
their fees as well. She hated to see us suffer but
couldn't help it as the sales she made from her kiosk
was meagre. They (my mum and my other siblings)
fell ill a few times but God was merciful to spare
their lives.
My eyes get soaked with tears each time I
remember my life history, but I write to share the
story so that you might be encouraged. I can't tell
you all I faced in those years but I can tell you that it
was a hell of an experience for me. I wouldn't want
to bore you further with my story but the good
news is that my tragic story has turned to glory.
My brother has now emerged as the general
manager of an ultra-modern multinational
company in Lagos. My other siblings are doing
wonderfully well in school in their various
departments. My mum now owns a shopping plaza
which houses a boutique, a super mart and a salon,
amongst other stores.
I, Amanda Schmidt have always had the
passion of becoming a pharmacist. I graduated
from the University of Lagos with a first class
TUNNEL
End of the
thought they would give me the usual biscuits they
brought each time they came to see dad. I was
wrong. This time, they came to take all their
'biscuits' from us. They came with some armed men
and I saw them arguing with mum while making
away with our stuffs. As mum kept confronting
them, they beat her to stupor. At this stage my elder
brother took us from the house and hid us till the
drama lasted. We came back after they left, and met
our house empty. Mum never stopped crying till she
slept off. We also had to cry ourselves to sleep as no
one was ready to cook for us that day. I still hear
mum's cry till date but with great joy in my heart
now.
Am sure you can tell the rest of the story
from here but you can't tell the amount of pain,
shame, agony and hunger we felt then. Mum
couldn't pay our school fees and feed us at the same
time even after selling her jewelries and expensive
clothing. She took my elder brother and I to one of
her relatives in Jos. I was sent to school by this
relative of my mum while my brother worked in her
shop as the sales boy, pending when he would
secure admission into a higher institution. My
TUNNEL
End of the
12
MargaretThatcher
BY; Nwanya Somutochukwu Sullivan
At the announcement of
the death of Margaret Thatcher,
thousands of Britons gathered at
Trafalgar square, London for a
celebration. "This party had been
planned many years ago" one man
said when interviewed. These types
of celebrations are common when a
dictator leaves the seat of power
with notable examples in the cases
of Abacha, Mubarak and Gadaffi in
Nigeria, Eg ypt and Libya
respectively. But the question
looms: Was Thatcher a tyrant or a
victim of strong leadership? To
answer this question, we must
understand the fact that in
leadership, decisions must be made
which regardless of the intent
affects people's lives in good or bad
ways and a leader cannot always
explain the intent these lines of
action.
Born Margaret Hilda Roberts, she
was always known to have a
combative personality and this was
highlighted by her job application
being rejected by a company that
labeled her "a headstrong and
dangerously self-opinionated
individual". The later would rear its
head later in her political career
when by the year 1990, the last
minister still in her cabinet since she
had become prime minister in 1979
resigned following many others
before him who had done the same
thing after disagreements regarding
policies with Baroness Thatcher.
She first became involved in
politics-with the conservation
party-while still a student at Oxford
University. Rising slowly through
the ranks, she became leader of the
opposition and the conservation
party in 1975. After launching a
verbal attack on the Soviet Union,
the soviet press gave her the title
"Iron lady" which she gladly
accepted. In 1979, the conservation
party won the general elections by a
landslide and Margaret Thatcher
became the first female prime
minister of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Nor ther n
Ireland.
Her domestic policies which
included privatisation of
13
government-owned businesses
were able to transform Britain from
an industrial dependent state.
Though there was a stable economy
highlighted by low inflation, there
were still concerns about the high
unemployment in Britain (3 million
at the time). She was also quick to
bring down 'enemies' of her
government, most notably the
miners' association that was
instrumental in bringing down the
government of former Britain
prime minister Edward Heath
under whom she served as minister
of education. Her most
controversial decision which lead to
70, 000 - 200, 000 people protesting
at Trafalg ar square was the
imposition of poll tax (where every
adult resident in a building was to
pay tax on the building). This was
one of the major rationales why the
same venue hosted the mass
celebration at the news of her
death. Though she was able to put
an end to hooliganism in
footballing stadia in the United
Kingdom, she is still regarded as an
enemy in footballing circles for
putting the blame of the loss of
lives of some Liverpool supporters
on their fellow supporters in the
match involving Liverpool football
club and Nottingham forest
football club at Hillsborough
stadium. Later, investigations and
re por ts by the inde pendent
Hillsborough Family Support
Group (HFSG) found these
reports to be untrue blaming the
incident on the South Yorkshire
police and hinted at a serious police
cover up.
She lived up to her iron lady
sobriquet when Britain went to war
with Argentina to regain control of
the Falkland Islands and South
Georgia in the South American
coast. She was prime minister
during the darkest days of The
Troubles and was instrumental in
the management of the crisis. This
commitment to effective
management of the crisis would
come at a very steep price as she
narrowly escaped an assassination
a t t e m p t o n h e r l i f e by t h e
provisional Irish republican army.
Margaret Thatcher was also seen
as anti-african by some Africans
n o t a b l y Ay o Fa l e t i ( P u n c h
newspaper: Thursday April 11,
2013 page 24) for taking sides with
the apartheid governments of
presidents Botha, Verwoerd and
De Klerk of South Africa while
calling Nelson Mandela "a
terrorist" and classifying the
African National Congress(ANC)
"a terrorist organisation". She
however officially condemned the
abominable regimes and led calls
for the end of racial segregation.
Margaret Thatcher never stopped
at crushing those who opposed her
interests but she was also equally
effective in bettering the lives of
her fellow Britons even in the most
ruthless manner possible. I will
leave you to reach your conclusions
as well as to whom Baroness
Thatcher really was as the popular
saying goes thus “beauty lies in the
eye of the beholder”.
Mazi Ohuabunwa
(Life patron of PANS national)
An interview with MAZI SAM OHUABUNWA,
OFR, FPSN, FPC PHARM, FNIM, FIMN, FNIPR, FIMC;
the life patron of PANS national, the former Chairman/CEO of
Pfizer West Africa and then, former CEO of Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc.
CAN WE MEET YOU SIR?
I am Mazi Sam I. Ohuabunwa
time, a journalist. Later, I wanted to do Business
Management and Administration. Though people
around me wanted me to study Medicine since I was
leading my class, but I myself didn't have interest in
that field. I wanted to do Geology because I lived
around where there where Shell people who were
involved in exploration, so, my fancy was just going
all around without a specific field in mind. I was
doing well in both the sciences and the arts.
SIR, WAS PHARMACY YOUR ORIGINALLY
DESIRED COURSE OF STUDY?
I wasn't originally looking into studying Pharmacy. As
a matter of fact, I had challenge in deciding on a
course to study because nobody was there to guide
me. At one time, I wanted to be a lawyer, at another
14
I later thought of doing Medicine but after the war in
which I was involved as a Biafran soldier and fought
for three years, I lost interest since I had already lost 4
years. So, when we resumed in 1970, I forgot about
Medicine because I couldn't afford to spend another
7 years in Medicine after all the already gone years. In
the course of looking for a shortcut because my fancy
was in Business Administration, just as I was about to
fill my form into that, I visited an uncle of mine who
was a civil servant. As I was holding my form, he
asked for the course I wanted to do, I told him but he
asked me whose business I wanted to administer. He
then advised me to go for a professional course and
then do business out of it. We both then checked the
brochure for a professional course which was related
to Medicine. That was how I ended up in pharmacy.
But as I tell people, God works in very wonderful
ways because as I finished pharmacy, an uncle of
mine who was well-to-do wanted to set up a business
and he told me to do business with him. I then
requested that he should allow me do apprenticeship
for about 3 years so that I could know how the
business was really done. I therefore, worked with
Pfizer though I also did Business Administration to
be more equipped for the task.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT
PHARMACY PROFESSION, THE STATUS
QUO AND ITS FUTURE IN NIGERIA?
Pharmacy profession is a profession that has been
largely misunderstood probably from the historical
development of the profession. It is a profession that
so many people are interested in but not everybody is
ready to go through the steps involved; that is why we
seem to have a lot of people who are practising
something that looks like the profession but are not
qualified so to do since so many people see it as an
alternative opportunity to be employed especially in
the general practice area (community pharmacy
practice). For all intents and purposes, general
practice is where pharmacy practice seems to have an
image but pharmacy is much more than that. The
other areas of professional practice where it is
difficult to have pretenders are hospital and industrial
pharmacy. These areas need to come up in the image
of the profession. I believe PCN and PSN are
working hard to ensure that unqualified people who
are practising the profession are put to order.
The profession to me has a future. The evolution in
the way we are moving from being product-centric to
being patient oriented will also help in crossing a line
between the business side of the profession and the
technical side. The business side seems to overwhelm
the technical side but, if we are able to go through the
clinical pharmacy orientation, then the technical side
will come up, and the profession can then stand out
more distinctively and play its complementary role in
the healthcare team.
HOW CAN WE THEN ENCOURAGE
PHARMACY STUDENTS AND YOUNG
PHARMACISTS TO GO INTO THE
TECHNICAL SECTION OF THE
PROFESSION ASIDE FROM THE
COMMUNITY PRACTICE AND THE
INDIVIDUAL ASPECT?
Well, the encouragement comes largely from making
those areas much more attractive in terms of
remuneration. This is because the business side is
attractive since you can decide to set up your own
business so far you have the money. But as a clinical
pharmacist, you have to work for a health system.
You are therefore going to depend more or less on
some people for employment and other things. There
should therefore be remuneration and compensation
to make those areas attractive.
There is need for us to also go into research and
development which is a subset of Industrial
Pharmacy which is an area where we are not going to
compete with anybody. No other healthcare scientist
or professional has that knowledge which a
pharmacist has when it comes to the area of research
and development and production of new drugs.
SIR, WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ABOUT
PHARM.D. IN NIGERIA?
I don't think that the era of B. Pharm. has passed. My
own take is that people should have options. For
instance, people who want to go into Community
Pharmacy, or business can do 5years and move on. It
depends on your interest. Then those who want to be
patient oriented, who want to go into the key
professional technical areas can go for Pharm. D. We
have two parallel options that anybody can take. That
is the way I feel it should be.
A WORD FOR PANSITES SIR.
You should know that you are in a noble profession.
Seek God and do your best. Endeavor to make the
profession proud.
15
Professionalism in Pharmacy:
Implementing The Vision In A Dynamic Continuum
Interest in Professionalism has
grown in recent years. The many
reports of the unethical, illegal or
u n p r o f e s s i o n a l b e h av i o r o f
Pharmacists, Medical Practitioners
and officials in large corporate
organizations have played no small
part in why so much attention is
being paid to the issue. Restoring
public trust particularly in
Pharmacy is really what lies at the
hear t of attempts to define,
describe, measure and assess
professionalism in the Pharmacy
practice and other healthcare
professions at large.
My vision for pharmacy is that we
would build a profession that is
virile, that is productive, that is
fruitful, a profession that will
become a benchmark in the comity
of decent professions. Pharmacy is
a profession that will be in our
lifetime in this land. It is a
profession that will throw out some
of the very best in the larger society;
Leaders that will bring to the fore
exemplary leadership qualities.
What separates a pharmacist from a
worker at Mr Biggs? It is simple:
pharmacists are professionals.
W hat does it mean to be a
professional? It means that we are
members of a group and that we
declare, in a public way, that we
promise to act in certain ways
towards the society. We have made a
“promise” to act in a manner that
benefits the society. We have a code
of ethics and standards by which we
are judged. We have a “duty”, not
only to the society, but to our
profession. We are obligated to
control our own profession. We
have a duty to our profession to
keep our members focused on their
ethical and social requirements.
This means that pharmacists should
not only act like professionals, but
be professionals.
“Pharmacy professionals will feel
empowered to use the word “no” when
faced with undignified, unprofessional,
dangerous, dishonest, insulting or offensive
situations.” We have a duty to
patients and the society at large. If
we see professionalism being
compromised, then it is up to us to
do something about it. To be
ef f ective, we n eed a stro n g
professional bond. The
Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria
PSN alongside the Pharmacists
Council of Nigeria has in years past
fostered this bond. In essence, we
are obligated to our profession to
have a strong professional
organization. And, that
16
organization must be based on
pharmacies professional ethics and
social responsibility. It should be
like a “rudder” on a ship to guide
the profession toward greater
professionalism.
A Continuum is a link between
two things, or a continuous series
of things, that blend into each
other so gradually and seamlessly
that it is impossible to say where
one becomes the next
A person is said to be Dynamic if
he/she is full of energy,
enthusiasm, and a sense of
purpose and able both to get
things going and to get things
done
In a country as dynamic as Nigeria,
a continuum of global trends,
disharmony in the curriculum of
the underg raduate Phar macy
training, delayed nationwide
Phar m. D implementation,
unprofessionalism in practice as
harbored by some and so on, has a
lasting solution. The future of
Pharmacy lies solely on the input to
upcoming professionals.
Implementing the Vision in this
dynamic continuum is a derivative
of the preparedness of Pharmacy
undergraduates. Are they at the
same pace as the world out there?
Comparisons aside, will a Pharm. D
equipment of these dynamic young
professionals not instigate better
health care delivery in our society?
Picture a drug custodian and master
health care giant with the knowledge
of Pharmacovigilance,
Pharmacoeconomics,
Pharmacopsycology, Public health
e.t.c. with an all-round patient care
orientation. There is an overall
improved patient outcome with a
Pharm. D program in all schools of
Pharmacy. This is the catalyst for
implementing this vision.
Education is a key factor in any
profession. All professions strive for
excellence in their educational
requirements. T his urg es
phar macists to strive for
professionalism in their workplace
through constant learning. Every
profession has a right of pragmatic
upgrade especially in education.
Pharmacy education in Nigeria
needs much attention especially on
curriculum review and Pharm. D
program in all schools of Pharmacy.
The goal of pharmacy education
consists of preparing pharmacy
students with the appropriate skills,
attitudes, knowledge, and values to
render them competent
professionals. The core of the
pharmacy curriculum has been
based on basic science and clinical
knowledge combined with
pharmaceutical dispensing and
communication skills.
The adoption of the doctor of
pharmacy (Pharm. D) degree as the
first professional degree heightened
expectations of student
perfor mance in professional
programs as confirmed in Ghana,
Sierra Leone, the United States and
the United Kingdom. Pharmacists
are obliged to refuse to lower their
professional standards, no matter
the pressure of their jobs. Not only
do we have a duty to refuse to lower
our professional standards, we have
a duty to promote those standards.
All pharmacists will be faced with
pressure on the job. They will be
faced with less than a professional
work place. But, the job does not
define the phar macist. The
pharmacist defines the job. All jobs
within all professions face the dual
role of being a professional and
making money. Despite the money
component, a pharmacist is ethically
and professionally obligated to do
things in the best benefit of the
patient. Pharmacists have taken an
oath and they have made a promise
to the society. The only way that
17
pharmacists can be professionals is
to uphold their promise to the
society- optimum health care
delivery. When pharmacists act as
professionals, the society will
recognize them as professionals.
How does a pharmacist act as a
professional? By putting the
interests of the patient first!
By Awiligwe Arinze O.
15
A
Easy Ways To Cut
Calories and Lose Weight
nyone who ever tried to lose weight knows it takes a lot of effort and dedication. Fortunately, it's easier than you
think. If you burn more calories than you eat, you lose weight. By cutting about 500 calories a day, you can enhance
your weight loss efforts and achieve your weight loss goals faster. because 3,500 calories equals to 1 pound of fat, you
need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose one pound. So, if you cut 500 calories from your diet every
day, you will lose 1 pound a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories). Calories are the energy in food. Your body
has a constant demand for energy and uses calories from food to keep functional. These calories will remain stored
in the body as fat unless you use them, either by reducing your calorie intake or by increasing physical activity.
Cutting calories can be easy. It's a matter of making a simple substitution over the course of a day. Here are some
easy ways to cut calories, which in turn will help you lose weight:
2. Downsize on Desserts: Cutting
1. Drink Green Tea: If you can not
abstain from drinking tea in the
morning, go for green tea. Green tea
can burn up to 70 calories per day
because it increases your metabolism. Since there is no
need to add cream or sugar, it is the best way to start
your day.
3. Eat Fresh Fruits: Choose fresh
fruit instead of fruit juice. Fruit juices
contain lots of sugar to sweeten them.
A medium-sized orange has 60
calories, while a cup of orange juice
contains 120 calories. In addition, fresh fruit has more
fiber, which helps facilitate digestion.
calories does not mean saying no to all
dessert. You certainly can have them
but in a very small proportion. Small
steps such as skipping chocolate topping or avoiding
cream can go a long way!
4 . Limit Alcohol intake: Most
alcoholic beverages are high in calorie.
These include beer, wine, and
cocktails. In addition, alcoholic drinks
have very little or even no nutritional benefit. If you
must to take alcohol, choose lower-calorie one. For
example, order a light beer instead of regular beer.
18
5. Choose Water over Soft Drinks:
Changing the soft drinks with water
can save you hundreds of calories per
day. If you can not give up on soft drinks then try
switching to diet soda drinks. Choosing the coconut
water over the fruit juice can also help because the
coconut water is low in calories and high in vitamins
and minerals
6. Increase Protein intake: High
protein can help keep fat away. Protein
requires a complex procedure to be
converted into energy and it also can
make you feel full.
is not large enough to accommodate the mound of
food buildup.
11. Avoid Starchy foods: Starchy
foods like potatoes tend to have more
calories, so, it is better to avoid or
replace them with peas or other beans
such as chickpeas and kidney beans which are rich in
fiber and vitamins.
12. Select Whole Grain: If possible,
eat whole wheat grain bread and whole
wheat pasta instead of white grain.
Whole wheat gives you fewer calories
and more nutrients. They are also rich in fiber andiron
7. Use less oil when cooking: Instead
of bathing your food with oil, try using
a tablespoon of oil at a lower heat
setting. Spread less butter on your
bread and avoid putting it in your food. Prefer healthy
cooking oils like flaxseed oil, olive oil,etc which provide
fewer calories and more Omega-3 fatty acids.
8. Eat more Vegetables: Vegetables
like broccoli, carrot, are rich in fiber,
which is not only good for your
digestive system, but are also good to
give your stomach a sense of fullness so you eat less.
9. Reduce Portion size: You do not
have to eat 3 large meals a day. Instead,
you can reduce portion sizes and have
4-5 small meals a day. This keeps your
metabolism busy throughout the day. If you eat one
plate of rice, cut into a half.
10. Go for Smaller plates: Changing
the size of your plate into smaller ones.
The bigger the plate you have, the more
likely you eat more. So, switch it to a smaller one. It is
easier to resist the temptation to fill the plate if the plate
13. Eat at Home: We tend to get
more calories when eating out. When
you eat at home, you can control how
to prepare it and the portion sizes.
14. When Eating out, Order
smartly: When eating at a restaurant,
order an appetizer as your main dish. If
you 're still hungry, order a salad but
without mayonnaise based dressing. Also, not a large
amount of pouring salad dressing, you just dip the fork
into the dressing before taking a salad. When ordering
pizza, choose thin crust base with less of fat and more
vegetables.
15. Read Food Labels: Be sure to
check the Nutrition Facts panel and
the number of calories per serving on
the packages. Do not just check the
amount per 1oz or per 100g but the amount of the
whole package and think about how much you
normally would eat. Then decide whether to leave it on
the shelves or take it home to add to your waistline.
Cutting calories does not have to be painful. By
following the tips above you should be able to cut
calories and lose weight easily.
19
The Lady, Her Lover & his
Football
“The most psychological part
of a man's attachment for football
is the extent to which a game affects...”
20
Some relationships tend to go through their
seasonal toll directly proportional to the football
season. Now, this title has caught your attention for
a number of reasons. Some ladies expect that I'd be
expressing their predicament and the gents would
probably check my gender first. Do confirm that
I'm not Steve Harris before deciding to read on. In
“the lady, her lover and his football relationships”,
there are basically three types of ladies.
1. The indifferent lady
2.The understanding lady, and
3.The Lady that had to get used to it.
A man's love for football is an in-depth
relationship some ladies need help understanding.
At first, I sure did not get what was so intriguing
or pleasurable about kicking a ball, but with a little
help, I've come to understand that for men, football
is drama while women love Nollywood, Hollywood
or Bollywood in this part of the world.
Men see football as live unpredictable drama, breath
taking, fascinating, suspense-filled, boring,
invigorating, exciting, frustrating, exhilarating,
action packed; full of heroes & villains, controversy,
skills, cynicism, violence, trickery, bravery,
cowardice, joy and misery all in just 90 minutes.
Why a man has the capacity to make cogent plans
to sit for hours to watch a football game when he
won't sit for more than 10 to 15 minutes for
anything emotional except money matters, are due
to the following reasons:
1. Male bonding; social reasons and something to
talk about...well...other than ladies, money and
politics;
2. Entertainment;
3. An avenue for venting male aggressiveness;
4. Escaping the ladies in their lives and some
responsibilities;
The most psychological part of a man's attachment
for football is the extent to which a game affects his
mood as it identifies some amount of his happiness
based on how well his team plays and then remains
in a horrendous mood when his team loses
especially a penalty.
I have to admire such responsibility as I for one am
too sensitive to have my happiness jeopardized by
such unpredictable drama; the suspense is enough
for me.
Call it cowardice if u will; simply accord it the same
way a lady is expected behind the wheel when the
driving goes wrong...
...but then I'm cool with the mantra; "join the
winning team..."
The mood is worse off, of course, for those who
dare make bets.
Now, onto the more important aspect of this
whole idea; how ladies on the receiving end get
through this football toll. It isn't physical enough
for them to trail, clap hands at, and chant "ooo ooo
ooo...boyfriend snatcher...or what not" (Thumbs
down...by the way...)
Still, a few tips will keep us from feeling left out,
which are:
1.Move beyond the "football or me" ultimatum
because it'll either push him farther away or breed
resentment, if ever you succeed in getting him to
choose you.
2. Find your own football-time distraction; you
mustn't do the football thing together.
3. Schedule "together-time" outside when the
leagues are playing.
4.When you eventually get to schedule a nonfootball time, avoid distractions; especially
complaints about his football attachment.
5. Try to give football a chance.
Granted...It's rare these days to find ladies who
aren't into sports, yet those of us that aren't, before
getting mad at something that doesn't have the
capacity to wear heels should try watching at least
part of the game to find out what your partner
enjoys about it.
I prefer to find out who has scored or when the
referee's bitching, just for the kicks of having a
football convoy.
Well, I may have been as liberal as possible but
personally, I'd rather have someone who'd damn his
football once in a while to take my call when I'm
tired of being lady number two. Wishing you a
wonderful football season!
By Nkoli Os'kar
21
Pharmacy Practice and
the fresh pharmacy graduate
Pharm. (Mrs) Arinola Joda PhD., MAW
Someone described life as “what happens to you while
you are making other plans”. Life is definitely different,
more challenging out of school than during school
when lives and time are more or less planned and
usually pretty predictable. When end of school is
approaching, feelings of insecurity, quiet desperation
and envy may set in. You may find yourselves asking
one another of plans after school, hoping to find the
magic way of planning your own life.
In school, you have learnt that there are various practice
areas in Pharmacy to choose from. By now some of you
already have an idea of what you want to do after
school. Some of you (and I don’t mean just the
graduating students) know they want to be in
Community Pharmacy, others in the hospital or even
consultancy practice. In the same way, some already
know they want to come into academia, or know they
want to further their education either in pharmacy or in
business. Some others know that their first priority is to
travel out of the country. This is, however, not the topic
before us.
There are many areas of pharmacy that the fresh
graduate can practice and excel in. To refresh our
memories we have about four core practice areas in
pharmacy which include community practice,
industrial practice, hospital practice & administrative
pharmacy and academic practice.
Each of these core areas can be further broken down
into other smaller parts. Let me take each of these parts
one by one in brief.
Community Practice:
Practitioners in this area belong to the Association of
Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), the
technical group under the Pharmaceutical Society of
Nigeria (PSN) that coordinates their affairs for the
national body.
22
Community Pharmacists are one of the most important
groups of Pharmacists because they form the bulk of
the Pharmacists in the country. About 60 to 70% of
Pharmacists in Nigeria belong to ACPN. Pharmacists
that own community pharmacies, Pharmacists
superintending community pharmacies as well as
Pharmacists that work as fulltime staff in community
pharmacies all must register with the ACPN. Young
Pharmacists intending to practice in this area should
work with well-established and well run community
pharmacies to learn the ropes. Apprenticeship is a very
good idea for community Pharmacists because it will
open your eyes to potential problems that you may
encounter as well as tools to use to solve these
problems. It is not a wise move if fresh graduates go
ahead and establish their community practices without
this period of training because even if all the resources
you need are available (the location analysis is good, the
money is available for renovations and stocking and the
staff to be employed are there) much time and money
will be wasted on things that should not have been
embarked upon if you had known. Like the PSN,
ACPN has a national body as well as branches in each
state of the federation including Abuja.
Industrial Practice:
The Pharmaceutical industry is the most diverse group
in Pharmacy. It comprises such groups as Marketers,
Production Pharmacists, other Pharmacists in the drug
and foods industries as well as Pharmacists in
agrochemicals, publishing and consulting segments.
Pharmacists in the industry pride themselves on being
the engine room of the profession. They produce the
drugs, ensure its safety and coordinate and organize
systems including publications. NAIP has a national
body and is currently organizing zonal representation to
further enhance its activities. Young Pharmacists with a
vision for the industry will need a large dose of patience
as one of his/her attributes. An active PANS
representative may find it easier to link up with the
industry gurus through fund raising activities carried
out while in school. Usually, marketing is the place to
start though some may plug into the production end of
industry as soon as possible. Production is one area
where there always seems to be a need for Pharmacists
in industry so this is a good route to enter into the
industry although it may take a while before you can
cross over to other areas but it is not impossible.
Hospital Practice:
Hospital Pharmacy practice is one area where
Pharmacists need to make the most impact. This is
because pharmacy practice is assessed through the
hospital. Hospitals still using the 2x2 windows are not
doing the profession any good and Pharmacists
working in such places should make consistent moves
for a change to the new paradigm of the practice where
23
pharmaceutical care is the watchword and patient
counseling is an absolute essential and adequate areas
for this to take place are a sine qua non. Most young
Pharmacists have two opportunities to work in the
hospital i.e. during internship (because internship in the
hospital seems to pay the highest in terms of takehome pay and also in convenience) and during the
youth service programme (because Pharmacists as well
as other medical persons are usually posted to
rural/sub-urban hospitals where the need for their
services are great and never-ending). Hospital practice
can be both satisfying and rewarding if the
practitioners in the hospital embrace pharmaceutical
care. Young Pharmacists of today have a greater
understanding of the concept of pharmaceutical care
than many older Pharmacists and they must remember
that in trying to get the status quo changed, diplomacy
is the key. You cannot compel someone to change a
system when he has not seen practically the benefit of
the new system so there is a need to take things slow,
start small to demonstrate benefit and then push some
more. For the young Pharmacist with a vision for
Hospital practice, realize that even though you may be
getting a better salary than your counterparts in other
practice areas in the beginning you must not rest on
your oars and become lazy intellectually. Keep yourself
sharp and in touch with current happenings. It will be
easier done if you can take a locum job in the evenings
in a community pharmacy not too far from where you
live. This will help you to stay current. Most
Administrative Pharmacists are found in the Hospitals
which is why they are joined together as an interest
group under the PSN. The National Association of
Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists (NAHAP)
have both a national body and state branches.
Administrative Pharmacists are Chief Pharmacists,
Directors and Assistant Directors of Pharmaceutical
Services etc. These have grown through the ranks in the
hospital and so do not carry out direct pharmacy
services anymore. They are also found in the Ministries
of health whether at federal, state or local government
levels. They are directly involved with setting up
policies that will make the profession a more
comfortable and profitable one for all practitioners.
Unfortunately, because their numbers are relatively few
compared to other medical personnel, the future of the
profession is largely reduced to a game of numbers
with the majority deciding the vote most of the time.
So, more Pharmacists need to be employed in these
places to enable us move further faster.
Academic Practice:
The Academia is the most restricted area of Pharmacy
practice, in my opinion. Not everyone can apply at the
same time and not everyone can be taken at the same
time. Factors that favored employment of academic
Pharmacists in one season may no longer be the factor
in the next and so many things are factored in before
one can get employed as an academic Pharmacist. A
positive development, however, is the increase in the
number of universities offering Pharmacy as a course
of study as well as establishment of private and state
universities also beginning to offer the course.
Academic pharmacy requires not just Pharmacists that
like to read and who passed well while in school but
rather a Pharmacist that likes to pass on knowledge and
who is willing to learn how to do so and how to improve
in doing so. Academic pharmacy, just like any other
practice area requires people that have a vision for
teaching and research. There's a common phrase that
cannot be missed in academia and that is “Publish or
Perish”. As an academic Pharmacist you will not only
learn new things, teach new things you must also write
and so those people that have already developed their
writing ability to a good extent have a much shorter
road to walk in learning to publish than those that have
not. Young Pharmacists intending to stay in academia
need to continue on the education ladder as soon as
possible, quickly following up the bachelor's degree
with a Masters as well as a Doctorate as soon as they
can. While working on these degrees, the young
Pharmacist should also work on publishing some
articles whether from old projects/ research e.g.
undergraduate degree project work or Masters Degree
project, or publish articles from literature surveys or
reviews. Academic Pharmacy can be challenging or
humdrum depending on how you choose to play it and
depending on the other lecturers in your department
and/or faculty. The National Association of
Pharmacists in Academia (NAPA) is the interest group
academic Pharmacists belong to and branches are only
found in states where Pharmacy is offered as a course
of study in the university. A national body coordinates
the activities centrally.
Though other areas exist including pharmacy
journalism, Pharmacists in the Military and other
paramilitary agencies, they would need to relate
through one of the afore-mentioned areas. Aside from
Pharmacy practice, Pharmacists can function
effectively in other areas such as telecommunications
and banking, etc. (because the pharmacy industry trains
its marketers to be able to market just about any
product). Pharmacists are thoroughbred professionals
who can hold their own in any industry and segment of
society. The mix of pharmacy and medical courses,
management courses, marketing and even forensic
pharmacy provides Pharmacists the basic tools needed
to function as a manager, accounting officer,
administrator, marketer, counselor, adviser as well as
the main Pharmacy practice that he is trained for.
Therefore, I enjoin all young pharmacists to hold their
head up high. Add to all the things you have learnt the
24
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The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and
social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Health is the level of functional or
metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind and body,
usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain. This sound state of the human physiology can be
butt-in by diseases, mechanical injury, cerebro-vascular accidents, etc. The presence of these shortcomings necessitates the temporary or many a time permanent dependence on medications to bring the
anomalous human physiology to/near normalcy. Medication on the other hand is the treatment of an
ailment with any chemotherapeutic agent that is prescribed by the right health care provider and
administered accordingly. Medications play an important role in health care and they work best when
taken correctly.
Medication Adherence...?
"Medication adherence" (or compliance with) means
taking the right amount of your medication - no more,
no less - at the right time, and in the right way for as long
as your health care provider suggests. Adherence to a
medication regimen is the extent to which patients take
medications as prescribed by their health care
providers. The word “adherence” is preferred by some
health care providers because “compliance” suggests
that the patient is passively following the doctor's
orders and that the treatment plan is not based on a
therapeutic alliance or contract established between
the patient and the physician. Both terms are imperfect
and uninformative descriptions of medication-taking
behaviour. Unfortunately, applying these terms to
patients who do not consume every pill at the desired
time can stigmatize these patients in their future
relationships with health care providers. The languages
used to describe how patients take their medications
need to be reassessed, but these terms are still
commonly used. Regardless of which word is
preferred, it is clear that the full benefit of the many
effective medications that are available will be achieved
only if patients follow prescribed treatment regimens
reasonably closely. The rate of adherence for individual
patient is usually reported as the percentage of the
25
prescribed dose of the medication actually taken by the
patient over a specified period. Some investigators have
further refined the definition of adherence to include
data on dose taking (taking the prescribed number of
pills each day) and the timing of doses (taking pills
within a prescribed period). Terrence Blaschke and Lars
Osterberg, in their collectively reviewed article'Adherence to medication' said that adherence rates are
typically higher among patients with acute conditions,
as compared with those with chronic conditions.
Persistence among patients with chronic conditions is
disappointingly low, dropping most dramatically after
the first six months of therapy.
Whys and Wherefores for good adherence
to medication
If you don't take your medications as recommended,
they will elicit no therapeutic effect as they should have
done. Everett Koop said, “Drugs don't work in patients
who don't take them”. In addition, taking your
medications incorrectly can adversely affect your
health. Take the dose that the doctor said is just right for
you.
Poor adherence to medication regimens accounts for
§
Substantial worsening of disease. In the case of
a microbial infection, development of resistance by the
micro-organism to the antimicrobial agent ensues.
§
Increased health care costs and
§
Death.
Given the magnitude and importance of poor
adherence to medication regimens, the World Health
Organization has published an evidence-based guide
for clinicians, health care managers, and policymakers
to improve strategies of medication adherence ( Sabate
E. Adherence to long-term therapies: evidence for
action. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2003).
Evaluation of medication adherence
Adherence to medication regimens has been
monitored since the time of Hippocrates, when the
effects of various portions were recorded with
notations of whether the patient had taken them or not.
Even today, patients' self-reports can simply and
effectively measure adherence.
The methods available for measuring adherence can be
broken down into two (2) categories:
Ø
Direct methods of measurement and,
Ø
Indirect methods of measurement
Each method has its advantages and disadvantages,
and no method is considered the gold standard.
Direct methods of measurement of adherence
include; measurement of concentrations of a drug or
its metabolite in blood or urine, and detection or
measurement in blood of a biologic marker added to
the drug formulation. These methods present in
themselves herculean tasks to the health care providers,
also, they are very expensive and predisposed to
distortion by the patients.
Indirect methods of measurement of adherence
include asking the patient about how easy it is for him or
her to take the prescribed medication, assessing clinical
response, performing pill counts, ascertaining rates of
refilling prescriptions, collecting patient questionnaires,
using electronic medication monitors, measuring
physiologic markers, asking the patient to keep a
medication diary, and assessing children's adherence by
seeking the help of a caregiver, school nurse, or teacher.
Questioning the patient (or using a questionnaire),
patient diaries, and assessment of clinical response are
all methods that are relatively easy to use, but
questioning the patient can be susceptible to
misrepresentation and tends to result in the health care
provider overestimating the patient's adherence.
Likewise, pill counting is not assumed a good measure
of adherence because medicines can be switched
between containers and also, it generates no
information on the administration of the 'collected'
medicine, such as dose timing and drug holidays (i.e.,
omission of medication on three or more sequential
days), both of which may be important in determining
clinical outcomes. Electronic monitors capable of
recording and stamping the time of opening bottles,
dispensing drops (as in the case of glaucoma), or
activating a canister (as in the case of asthma) on
multiple occasions have been used for approximately
30 years(Lars Osterberg, M.D.,et al: Adherence to
medication).
These devices provide precise and detailed insights into
patients' behaviour in taking medication, but they are
still indirect methods of measuring adherence; they do
not document whether the patient actually ingested the
correct drug or correct dose. Patients may open a
container and not take the medication, take the wrong
amount of medication, take the right amount of
medication and probably flush it out in the water closet
or invalidate the data by placing the medication into
another container or taking multiple doses out of the
container at the same time.
Sticking points to adherence
Poor adherence should always be considered when a
patient's condition is not responding to therapy.
Research on adherence has typically focused on the
barriers patients face in taking their medications.
Common barriers to adherence are under the patient's
control, so that attention to them is a necessary and
important step in improving adherence. According to
Cramer J. in one of his works titled “Patient compliance
in medical practice and clinical trials”, he stated that in
responses to a questionnaire, typical reasons cited by
patients for not taking their medications included
forgetfulness (30 percent), other priorities (16 percent),
decision to omit doses (11 percent), lack of
26
information (9 percent), and emotional factors (7 percent); 27 percent of the respondents did not provide a reason
for poor adherence to a regimen. Physicians contribute to patients' poor adherence by prescribing complex
regimens, failing to explain the benefits and side effects of a medication adequately, not giving consideration to the
patient's lifestyle or the cost of the medications, and having poor therapeutic relationships with their patients. Also
health care systems can create sticking points to adherence by limiting access to health care, using a restricted
formulary, switching to a different formulary, and having prohibitively high costs for drugs.
Mediation to poor adherence
Methods that can be used to improve adherence can be grouped into four (4) general categories:
v
Patient education;
v
Improved dosing schedules;
v
Increased hours when the clinic is open (including evening hours), and therefore shorter wait times and
v
Improved communication between physicians and patients.
Educational interventions involving patients, their family members, or both can be effective in improving
adherence. Learning about your medications can help you stick to your medication schedule.
Strategies to improve dosing schedules include the use of pillboxes to organize daily doses, simplifying the
regimen to daily dosing if possible, and cues to remind patients to take medications.
Clinic scheduling strategies to improve adherence include making follow-up visits convenient and efficient for
the patient. Delays in seeing patients and problems with transportation can undermine a patient's willingness to
comply with a medication regimen and to keep follow-up appointments.
Interventions that enlist ancillary health care providers such as pharmacists, behavioural specialists, and nursing
staff can improve adherence.
Finally, enhancing communication between the physician, pharmacist and the patient is a key and effective strategy
in boosting the patient's ability to follow a medication regimen.
In conclusion, most methods of improving adherence have involved combination of behavioural interventions and
reinforcements in addition to increasing the convenience of care, providing educational information about the
patient's condition and the treatment, and other forms of supervision or attention.
If you don't always take your medication exactly as your health care provider has prescribed, you aren't alone. It's easy
to get off schedule, especially if you are taking many different medications each day. Talk to your pharmacist to learn
about which programs may be right for you. Bear in mind that the micro-organisms (in cases of infection) keep to
their slogan – “what does not kill you makes you stronger”. If the medication is not strictly adhered to, they tend to
develop into resistant strains which invariably predispose the physiology of man to end stage effects.
Remember, a healthy attitude is contagious but don't wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier. -Tom Stoppard
“Delays in seeing patients and problems with
transportation can undermine a patient's
willingness to comply with a medication
regimen and to keep follow-up appointments.”
Continued from Pg 24
character and positive appearance needed of a
professional and I can assure you that you would have
no limits. Never dress in a way that clients will need to
ask if you are the Pharmacist. Always be well turned
out. Have integrity when people are there or when they
are not. Treat people well as they approach you for help,
advice, medicines or support. Provide unfailing care to
all your clients. Be courteous with superiors, colleagues
and those behind you. Be true to yourself and your
God. Then you will find yourself excelling beyond your
wildest expectations.
27
THE Real
Benjamin Franklin said, “Tell me and I forget,
teach me and I may remember, involve me and I
learn”. This in a nutshell tells me that for me to
learn, I need to be involved in a particular process
or activity during which I might need to be guided
or encouraged by someone who is more
experienced than I, to put me through in order to
achieve or attain a height which may be stressful or
might take time for me alone to achieve. The more
experienced individual who is in this with me is thus
my “Mentor”.
“A mentor is someone who sees more talent and
ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps
bring it out of you” -Bob Proctor. Mentorship is a
personal developmental relationship in which a more
experienced or knowledgeable person helps to guide a
less experienced or less knowledgeable person.
However, true mentoring is more than just answering
occasional questions or providing ad-hoc help. It is
about an ongoing relationship of learning, dialogue,
and challenge.
A mentor has the role of passing information, advice
and techniques to another to aid them in finding the
right space for them. If you have a mentor and you do
not hate him/her at one point or another, you have the
wrong mentor because he/she is expected to be
completely honest with you. This will be helpful,
wonderful, awful, devastating, rewarding and
everything else that is good and possibly everything
else that seems bad.
A mentor should be someone who listens and
understands. Listening is a skill and there are ways to
sharpen it, to fully understand what someone is
saying, what he/she means and how he/she feels. A
skilled mentor even follows up every inconsistency in
a mentee's speech to understand the person's feelings
in anticipation of whatever event is on-coming.
A mentor should also be one who plans and thinks
about how to work through a challenging or
confusing situation. Along with helping another
person think through specific steps for working
through such situation, a skilled mentor would also
think about ways of helping the person clarify short
term and long term goals, how today's actions move
him/her either towards or away from achieving these
goals, and the specific kinds of support and resources
that will be required for the person to successfully
work through each step of the action plan to
completion.
28
Along with listening skills and knowing how to assist others in setting and achieving goals, additional areas for
the mentor to develop paraprofessional skill and expertise would include: facilitating a professional working
relationship protecting privacy, maintaining confidentiality and establishing appropriate boundaries;
establishing trust, rapport, and open communication; being fully aware of how actions are demonstrations of
our values; understanding and modelling the tools of reflection and self evaluation; working to understand and
be sensitive to the impact of diversity and culture; applying principles, values, and ethics to evaluating the impact
of mentoring; and synthesizing experience and training into one's own emerging mentoring style.
A mentor is also a person who has learnt through success as well as challenges. He/she realizes that respect is
always earned; never something simply expected or demanded. He/she accepts other's inhumanity; realizing
that to err is human and to forgive is divine.
Properties that make a good mentor
Mentoring does not necessarily need/require special skills but mentors are simply people who have the qualities
of good role models. They do the following;
· Mentors listen: They give mentees their full attention and maintain eye contact.
· Mentors are practical: They give insights about keeping on task and setting goals and priorities.
· Mentors guide: They help to find direction.
· Mentors educate: They educate about life and their own careers.
· Mentors provide insights: They use their personal experience to help their mentees avoid mistakes and
learn from good decisions.
· Mentors are supportive: They continue to encourage their mentees to help them learn and improve no
matter how painful the mentee's experience.
· Mentors are accessible: They are available as a resource and a sounding board.
· Mentors are specific: They give specific advice on what was done well or could be corrected, also what
was achieved and the benefits of various actions.
· Mentors criticize constructively: They print out areas that need improvements, always focusing on the
mentee's behaviors, never his/her character.
· Mentors care: They care about their mentees' progress wherever and in career planning, as well as their
personal development.
29
Continued on pg. 33
P I C T U R E
PSN National Conference, OGUN 2012 in Abeokuta
Ogun State
PANSites in full representation
PANSites with Professor
Dora Akunyili
Group Picture of PANSites with
CEO Rodot Nig Ltd Remi
Adeseun, and Dr Arinola Joda
PANSites with Pharm
Inter-school Quiz competition during
the Young Pharmacists Forum
Access Control during Registration
of delegates
PANSites arriving in grand style (Mrs) Bukky George
Frm Left - Right PANS Uniport President,
PANS Unijos President and PANS national
President
Unijos PANSites in Olumo rock
Olumo rock things
CEO Health Plus Pharmacy
PANSites in Abeokuta
PANS National Convention Unijos 2012
Marvellous and Funkiest PANSite 2012
@ the wildlife park
PANS Unilag representatives
PANSites with representatives of Youth Ministry Plateau State
PANS National Secretary General
and Unijos PANSites
30
Unilag and Unijos PANSites
PANS Unilag President
Azeez Owolabi and Ene
P R O F I L E
PANS National Excos in Action
Frm L-R Golden Professor of
Pharmacognosy, Professor
Olukemi Odukoya and PANS
National President
Frm L-R PANS National President
and PANS National Secetary general
Inauguration Ceremony of PSN National
President Pharm Olumide Akintayo
PANS representatives at Fidson
Healthcare PLC
PANS National Excos with Pharm
Sir Mazi S.I. Ohuabunwa FPSN
Representatives gifts presentation
Deliberations at 1st PANS NEC Meeting
PANS representatives with the GM
Distribution and Sales, MTN Richard
Iweanoge
Opening ceremony of the PSN national E-Library
PANSites in academic drills
PANS-UNN Dinner party
Student carrying out analysis in
physical pharmaceutical lab
Students using the HPLC
PANS report in health campaign
31
Do you think the
Heart is
the PERFECT
Organ of
LOVE?
Have you ever wondered why the
heart for so long has been in use as
the organ of the body that
represents Love? This I have
always been doing since I was
young even until now. I used to
believe that since reasoning is
done by the brain and that what we
call “mind” lies there, then the
brain without being sentimental
should have been the appropriate
organ to be called the “organ of
love”. Scientifically now, the brain
controls the release of hormones
that make you feel the way you do
whenever you are with that person
you love. Plato, an influential
Greek philosopher, once said that
love is a serious mental disease.
I do wonder why people have to
feel the way they do whenever it
comes to love. These feelings of
inexplicable moodiness when love
is far away and that of excitement
together with almost
uncontrollable tachycardia when
love is near don't just come unless
the brain causes the release of
hor mones like oxytocin,
testosterone and estrogen into the
circulatory system which brings
about these emotions.
Love is so wonderful that the
organ of the body easily
associated with it is the heart.
Quite a number of explanations
have been provided by various
individuals to justify this. I've
heard so many people say that
because the heart sustains life,
when someone says he loves you
with his heart then it means he
actually loves you with his life.
Some folks see the heart as being
the most important of all organs
and for this reason, if there is a
love that would make a man give
out his heart (literally now) to
another person, then that love can
only be the highest form of it.
While these are important and
quite convincing attestations to
why the heart and not the brain or
any other organ is fit as the organ
of love, they are not sufficient to
feed skeptical or curious minds on
the issue.
After a long while of deliberating
on the subject, something caught
my attention; love is being
32
demonstrated among the body
organs. An organ supplying a
substance of life was actually
found to be taking the least
percentage of that substance! Do
you get that? This organ is the
supplier of this particular
substance, this substance is
needed by every organ including
itself to survive but yet it takes the
least volume of this substance. It
pleases this particular organ that it
has the least so that every other
organ can have sufficient supply.
Nobody would pick it up against
you if you conclude by saying that
this organ must care little about
itself. This is because, despite the
r i s k s i n vo l ve d , t h i s o r g a n
overworks itself when any of the
other organs in the body (e.g. the
kidney) is failing. When the body is
short of the substance of life, this
organ stresses itself out to make
sure each of other organs still has
t h e r e q u i r e d q u a n t i t y.
Interestingly, although this organ
can almost survive on its own it
will not do so in the face of ailing
other organs. This can be regarded
as a selfless service of love.
Just imagine someone spending
only about 5% of his salary on
himself and the remaining 95% on
his loved ones. This person can
obviously live without them but
wouldn't do so. Why? Only
because he sees the life of others
as being more important than he
considers his to be. He derives his
joy from what he can provide for
others. So, it pays him more to
have just 5% of his salary to
himself and see his loved ones
make do with the remaining than it
being the other way round.
Such is the case of the heart which
supplies blood to all other parts of
the body. But then, it uses the least
volume of it! The heart supplies
the brain with 14% of blood, the
kidneys with 22%, liver with 13%,
skeletal muscles with 18% and so
on. The heart only makes do with
4-5% of the total blood available
(the cardiac output). This is the
very least, compared with the
percentage of cardiac output it
pumps to each and every other
“Love is so wonderful that
the organ of the body easily
associated with it is
the heart”
org an. T he hear t does this
continuously till the very end of
life. It is an endless service; a kind
of love that the heart is dedicated
to among other organs of the
body.
The heart portrays love that
delights in giving and never
expects anything in return; the
love that shares in joy and sorrow,
pain and comfort, good and bad
times, fears and strengths of the
other person. The love that never
expects much but will be there at
all cost; it is a love that never ends,
one that continues even till the
very last moment. It is an endless
service of care, passion, adoration
and devotion to things concerning
the other partner. The heart
remains faithful even to the end.
This is the kind of love that should
be among individuals or group of
individuals who claim to be in love.
It is love whose example is led
perfectly by the perfect organ of
love which is and will always
remain the HEART. If you must
love any person, then make sure
your love is selfless, faithful and
above all endless.
Oladehinde OluwasegunAbiola
The Real Mentor; continued from pg. 30
·
Mentors succeed: They not only are successful
themselves, but also foster success in others.
· Mentors are admirable: They are usually well
respected in their organization and community.
As a mentee, do the following;
· Ask questions.
· Listen carefully.
· Be open to criticism from your mentor, accept it
graciously and be willing to make amends.
· Don't be afraid of trying new things or testing
new ideas.
· Carryout every assignment or project given to
you by your mentor.
· Above all, reference your mentor and show
appreciation for your mentor's time and
dedication to your success.
How to find a good mentor
· Consider first what exactly you want from a
mentoring relationship.
· Think about your personality style and what
type of person will complement and benefit you
best.
· Think about the people who you looked up to in
the past, perhaps a teacher or supervisor who
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
was especially helpful to you.
Make yourself a good mentee.
List out the things you want to learn.
Do your research on your potential candidates.
What are your goals?
How do you think the mentor can help?
How often and where do you envision meeting?
Don't exploit his/her rolodex -build a
relationship. Don't use a mentor just for his/her
connections. You are creating a relationship
that is about leveraging your mentor's
experience and insights, not about exploiting
their rolodex. You will get the connections they
think will be helpful to you in the long run.
“However, true mentoring is more
than just answering occasional
questions or providing ad-hoc help.
It is about an ongoing relationship
of learning, dialogue, and challenge”.
BY OLAGUNJU MUYIWA J.
33
T
U
B
E
R
C
U
L
O
S
I
S
By Adetona Olugbenga
According to the World Health Organization
(WHO) Global Tuberculosis Control as at
2009, there were an estimated 9,4 million
incident cases of tuberculosis (TB) globally.
Provisional analysis of this data by age and
gender indicates that women account for an
estimated 3-million cases. In 2008, most of
these estimated cases occurred in Asia (55%)
and in Africa (30%).
The five countries that ranked first to fifth in
terms of total number of incident (new)
cases of TB in 2008 were:
• India (1.6–2.4 million)
• China (1.0–1.6 million)
• South Africa (0.38–0.57 million)
• Nigeria (0.37–0.55 million)
• Indonesia (0.34–0.52 million)
TB is a curable disease only if patients are
given a complete and uninterrupted course of
drug therapy and if they take these
medications as prescribed. Pharmacists have
an important role to play in the management
and prevention of TB especially in aspects
related to improving availability and
accessibility of drug treatment; improving
adherence to therapy and educating patients
on the treatment and on the disease.
34
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
The disease spreads from one person to
another through cough and sneeze. It occurs
when droplets of Mycobacterium
tuberculosis are suspended in the air and then
inhaled into the lungs. Once in the alveoli,
macrophages attempt to ingest the bacilli, and
if the bacilli continue to multiply,
macrophages may rupture and release the
bacilli, causing the spread of the bacteria to
the lymph nodes and possibly into the blood.
A few weeks after exposure, macrophages
typically form granulomas to hold the bacilli
and prevent the spread of the infection.
Bacilli contained within the granulomas may
become dormant, resulting in latent
tuberculosis infection(LTBI). Patients with
LTBI are not infectious and cannot spread
the disease. In 10% of infected patients,
LTBI may progress to active TB. Patients
with active TB are infectious and can spread
the disease.
ANTITUBERCULOUS AGENTS
Tables 1 and 2 highlight the first- and secondline antituberculous agents. Typical doses
used in the treatment of active TB as well as
selected adverse events and monitoring
parameters associated with these medications
are also listed. One
of the main
adverse events
associated with
antituberculous
agents is druginduced hepatitis,
which is defined by
an elevation of the
serum aspartate
aminotransferase(
AST) level three or
more times the
Upper Limit of
Normal (ULN) in
the presence of
symptoms, or an
elevation of the
serum AST level
more than five
times the ULN in
the absence of
symptoms. In this
case, all
hepatotoxic agents
should be
discontinued
immediately, and
two or more nonhepatotoxic agents
may be used.
When the AST
level drops below
two times the
ULN, first line
agents may be
sequentially
reinitiated with
close supervision.
Pharmacists’ intervention
Pharmacists play a vital role in the management of patients with TB by providing their expertise within an
interdisciplinary team approach to patient care. They can assess the appropriateness, efficacy, and safety of
antituberculous therapy by monitoring patients and ensuring medication adherence. They can educate patients
and clinicians about the expected therapy outcomes and the side effects as well as drug interactions associated
with
antituberculous agents. Minor adverse events such as gastrointestinal disturbances are common in the first few
weeks of therapy and usually do not necessitate discontinuation of first-line agents. Patients may choose to
take their medications with food, although absorption may be delayed. Other adverse events such as druginduced hepatitis, pyrazinamide-induced hyperuricemia, and ethambutol-induced optical neuritis are more
serious, require further evaluation, and may necessitate discontinuation of therapy. Pharmacists may
recommend pyridoxine to decrease the risk of isoniazide-induced neuropathy. They should screen patients
with co-morbid conditions such as HIV infection for potential drug interactions particularly those patients
receiving rifamycins and protease
inhibitors. Pharmacists can also educate patients and clinicians about the importance of adherence and
Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) to ensure efficacy and minimize resistance. They should remain vigilant to
avoid the addition of a single agent to a failing regimen. Studies have shown better outcomes and substantially
35
improved rates of treatment completion when pharmacists are directly involved in the management of
patients with
TB, including healthcare workers. Institutions should explore the possibility of adding a pharmacist to their
TB management team.
CONCLUSION
The mainstay of TB control is organising and administering standardised treatment across the country for all
adult and paediatric TB cases. Pharmacists already contribute to thesafe and effective use of medicines
throughout the healthcare system. They also have a critical responsibility towards ensuring a consistent
supply of medicines, promoting rational use of drugs and providing information to patients and this should
be no different for anti-TB medicines. The private and public sector need to work together if TB is to be
brought under control. Government needs to begin to involve the private sector in tuberculosis control
programmes, so as to ensure a more comprehensive management of TB patients.
SUCCESS
ATTITUDE
IS AN
A positive attitude is by far the most important
asset on the search for greatness. Here greatness
means; “achieving personal, social and
professional goals”
Everyone finds himself in a certain
environment, under a given physical condition,
or state of well being, with certain obstacles and
limitations.
We find ourselves individually and in our own
respective worlds. Things within our world
become our environment which tries to
influence our actions and reactions, by affecting
our thoughts, through the pictures and
imaginations they create in our minds.
Success is not a game of chance but a product
of hard work and it is the ability to get along with
some people and ahead of others. The origin of
our success or failure is our minds. This is
because when we think and plan well about
something, we generate good and positive
thoughts which lead to positive feelings that
produce positive actions and reactions that lead
to success. But when one fails to plan about
something, then he is planning to fail. Success
36
“…we should try to master everything in our individual lives because
the principle of our being contains the possibility of complete mastership”
depends on our ability to think, plan
and programme ourselves towards
what we want to do.
Hence, as students or people,
our success or failure is a function
of our attitude. However, what we
are and what we do determine in
what condition, circumstances and
environment we shall be placed,
we must change ourselves and
actions by changing our thoughts.
The major cause of failure
ranges from personal attitude to
negative environmental influence.
Here, personal attitude includes
inefficient planning,
procrastination, lack of focus,
inefficient time and financial
management, negative influence
from friends, family members,
social groups, campus
environment and the society at
large.
However, for us to overcome
these so as to become champions
of our time, the following positive
personal attitudes should be
exhibited; we should efficiently
plan everything we want to do,
ensure proper time and resource
management. We must avoid every
distraction that leads to
procrastination and loss of focus.
Besides, we should try to master
everything in our individual lives
because the principle of our being
contains the possibility of
complete mastership.
Since the realization of this
principle produces the attitude of
self-supremacy, every original
thought that our minds create will,
37
to a degree, change us and remake
us according to what we inwardly
desire to be.
Finally, success is all about
creating or recreating ourselves in
addition to God's grace that is
already available. This explains
that, to be successful our negative
attitudes should be restructured to
positive ones even as we go about
creating new positive attitudes. It
is only the creative power of
thought that is employed in the
construction and reconstruction
of a man; for this reason, we are
who we think we are. Hence,
students should remember that,
proper preparation prevents poor
performance. Therefore, our
success is an attribute of our
attitude.
By ADOMOKEME EBI FELIX, NDU
?
e
m
a
l
B
o
t
s
i
o
h
W
She couldn't just believe what the doctor had told her.
The result of the test shouldn't have been hers. She was
2 months pregnant. How could it be? With the careful
measures she took with her husband to avoid this
scenario. She was completely lost. She thanked the
doctor, got up and went home preparing to disclose the
news to her husband who couldn't have seen that
coming. The words of her father kept playing in her
head as she drove down the road; "Save the world and
save yourself the stress, do not get pregnant", her dad
always emphasized.
Ta mu n o wa s d i a g n o s e d o f t h e H u m a n
Immunodeficiency Virus about 3 years ago. It was news
hard for her to take as she had always been careful with
use and sharing of sharp objects, towels and even sex,
but with support from her parents she was able to stay
strong. Her parents encouraged her to join HIV
organizations, where she could meet with people, share
ideas, and be taught on how to manage the disease
amongst other reasons. She attended such meetings
with keen interest.
It was in one of these meetings Tamuno met George
who was also HIV positive. They had a lot in common,
the rationale behind their coming together so quickly,
except for their family background. George was from a
humble home while Tamuno's parents were quite rich;
they could afford the basic necessities of life with a little
more luxury in contrast to George who lost his parents
to an automobile accident. He was the first child and
was left with four siblings to take care of.
When Tamuno told her parents she was getting married
to George, they gave her all the support she needed.
They were both HIV positive, a reason why her parents
weren't bothered about George's financial status. All
they wanted was to have their daughter happy. A day to
their wedding, her father called Tamuno and George.
He promised to help them financially and employ
George in one of his companies. These promises were
not without a stiff condition; they must not have a child.
“What is the use of having an HIV positive child who
would give more stress than joy”? Tamuno's father
38
survived the incident but not without losing more than
enough blood which she needed in the course of her
treatment. Tests had to be run before blood could be
transfused. The result of the test was a shock. Tamuno
was going to hear what was going to change a lot in her
life. She was HIV negative! On hearing this, in the midst
of undifferentiated emotions, George also requested to
have his blood tested again; the result, which to
everybody's surprise including the consultant, showed
he was HIV negative. What could have happened?
Could it have been a mix up? Were their previous test
results swapped? This was more than a coincidence.
Could they say it was a miracle?
Her father heard the news of what had just happened
and he was ashamed. He wanted to make it up to them.
Tamuno didn't want to see her father. The thought that
her baby could have been free from the disease and
would have been saved if her father had rendered help
made her sad. She was hurt and nothing anyone told
her could pacify her.
Who is to blame? Is it her father, Tamuno and George,
the laboratory scientists who had carried out similar
tests on them before, or were they just victims of
circumstance?
would always ask. He didn't believe that there was any
medical process that would prevent the fetus from
contacting HIV from the pregnant mother.
He threatened to disown Tamuno if she ever had a
child, so getting pregnant was not an option.
Tamuno told her husband about the pregnancy. She
wasn't ready to abort the pregnancy. George was not
going to suggest that either. They both decided to keep
the child, damning the consequence. Not long after, her
father got to know. He was very angry. He promised to
carry out his threat if she would not go for an abortion.
She already had a bond with her unborn baby, and
Tamuno's father made good his threat. He withdrew all
forms of support towards them in addition to sacking
George from his company. Life became hard for the
young couple. They lived on mercies of friends and a
few family members. Tamuno couldn't afford a proper
ante-natal during pregnancy. There were a lot of drugs
she wasn't able to buy. She also wasn't feeding properly.
By: Adediran Olatoyosi E.
A week after the eighth month of her pregnancy,
Tamuno felt a sharp pain in her waist. She let out a loud
cry, loud enough that it attracted the attention of their
neighbors, and George who was lucky to be at home.
She was taken to the hospital where the doctor told
George how Tamuno had suffered complications due
to her deprivation of a proper ante-natal. She would
have to undergo a caesarian section if they wanted both
Tamuno and her baby alive. They needed money and
time was of essence.
After he had tried sourcing for money from some
friends with little success, George decided to go to his
father-in-law. Tamuno's father would have none of it
and all he could do in the face of anger was to drive
George out of this compound.
Tamuno eventually lost the baby. She was lucky to have
39
Introduction
Liposomes are composite structures made of
phospholipids and may contain small amounts of
other molecules. Though liposome can vary in size
from low micrometer range to tens of micrometers,
unilamellar liposome, are typically in the lower size
range with various targeting ligands attached to their
surface allowing for their surface-attachment and
accumulation in pathological areas for treatment of
disease. Liposome is one such type of structure that
has been the subject of significant research and
development for many years. The use and potential
of liposome (Figure 1) as drug deliverers continues
to grow in importance. The reasons are clear:
·
Drugs delivered via liposome may be
protected from the actions of metabolizing
enzymes
·
Lipophillic drugs may be made soluble
·
Drugs can be targeted to specific areas by
attaching ligands to the liposome
·
Liposomes are readily absorbed by cells
·
The rate of drug release may be controlled
by the selection of liposome
·
Using liposome as a drug deliverer allows
potentially lower doses of drug to be used,
red uci n g toxi ci ty a n d si d e-ef f ects.
Furthermore, it is possible that gene therapy
drugs may be delivered by liposome.
The size of the liposome is increasingly
being recognised as an important factor in treatment
efficacy.
The size of the liposome used in drug delivery may
affect its circulation and residence time in the blood,
the efficacy of the targeting, the rate of cell
absorption (or endocytosis) and, ultimately, the
successful release of its payload. Such size
considerations are also hugely important to
nanoscale polymer-encapsulated drug delivery
systems. Accurate measurement of the particles
being administered is therefore important. This
mode of drug delivery lends more safety and efficacy
to administration of several classes of drugs like
antiviral, antifungal, antimicrobial, vaccines, antitubercular drugs and gene therapeutics. Present
applications of the liposome are in the immunology,
dermatology, vaccine adjuvant, eye disorders, brain
targeting, infective disease and in tumour therapy.
The new developments in this field are the specific
binding properties of a drug-carrying liposome to a
target cell such as a tumour cell and specific
molecules in the body (antibodies, proteins, peptides
etc.); stealth liposome which are especially being
used as carriers for hydrophilic (water soluble)
anticancer drugs like doxorubicin, mitoxantrone .
The polar character of the liposomal core
enables polar drug molecules to be encapsulated.
Amphiphilic and lipophilic molecules are solubilised
within the phospholipids bilayer according to their
affinity towards the phospholipids.
40
MECHANISM OF ACTION OF
LIPOSOME ENCAPSULATED
DRUGS
The general approach is to deposit drug bearing
liposome directly into the site where therapy is
desired. Since liposomes are large and do not easily
cross epithelial or connective barriers, they are likely
to remain at the site of local administration. The
liposomes would then slowly be released into the
target site or perhaps create a local drug level higher
than the systemic level. Alternatively the drug loaded
liposomes might interact directly with cells in the
target site, without producing release. The goal of
this approach is to maximise the amount of effective
drug at the target site, while minimizing the drug
levels at other sites and thus decreasing systemic
toxicity. For e.g. Small Unilamella Vesicles (SMV)
injected into the skin can persist interact at the site
for 600 hrs. And release of entrapped markers from the liposome occurs only after cellular uptake and intracellular
space remain intact.
The liposomal drug tends to have the following Pharmacodynamic effects
1. Retardation of drug clearance from the circulation
2. High drug accumulation in tissues rich on RES especially in liver and spleen
3. Retention of drug in tissues for large period
4. Protection of drug against metabolic degradation.
APPLICATIONS OF LIPOSOMAL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS
1.
Cancer chemotherapy as anti tumour drugs e.g. Methotrexate,
Cytarabin
2.
Gene therapy to deliver DNA into the cells
3.
Immunological adjuvant for protein antigens(diphtheria toxoid)
Doxorubicin,
Daunorubicin,
4.
Carriers of drugs in oral treatment of arthritis e.g. ibuprofen, cortisol palmitate and diabetes e.g.
insulin
5.
Ophthalmic delivery of drugs e.g. Idoxuridine ,Triamcinolone acetonide , Benzyl penicillin indoxol,
Inulin , Penicillin G
6.
Pulmonary delivery of drugs e.g. cytocine arabinoside, penthamidine and sodium
chromoglycate.
REFERENCES
1.
Soman, R., Vimal M., and PraveenHH, M. (2009). “LIPOSOMES – A Novel Drug delivery
system”.
2.
Samad, A., Sultana, Y and, Aqil, M. (2007).”Liposomal Drug Delivery: An Update review”. 4, (4), 297305 available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17979650 Accessed: 6/05/2013.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liposome
3.
Accessed: 6/05/2013.
4.
Priyanka, R., Jaydeep D, Y., Kumar A, A., (2011).” Liposome: A Novel Drug Delivery System”.
International Journal of Current Pharmaceutical Research. 3, (2), 1-3.
41
BY ADELEKE OLABIMPE
INTERVIEWWITH
PROFESSOREBENEZER
OLARENWAJUOGUNLANA
EXCLUSIVELY WITH PHARM.
PROF. SIR E.O. OGUNLANA (OON, FPSN),
a rare breed, a dis nguished icon in
Pharmacy profession in Nigeria and an
erudite scholar, a teacher of teachers, a
dean of deans and a professor of professors.
CAN WE MEET YOU SIR?
My name is Ebenezer Olarenwaju Ogunlana. I hold
Pharmacy in good faith and will always endeavor to do
the best for the profession.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR
BACKGROUND SIR?
I was born in Lafiaji, Lagos. My father was a printer and
my mother was a school teacher. Unfortunately, my
father died when I was a year and two months old, so,
my mother had to bring me and my elder brothers up. I
therefore hold my mother in high esteem because
without her, I wouldn't be who and where I am now. I
went to Tinubu Methodist School and then Methodist
Boys High School. Fortunately, I was swift to learning
and at that time left school at the age of 17, after which I
worked for about 2years. At a time, I fell ill and was
admitted into a general hospital which happened to be
where and at the time Kuti was pursuing his internship.
My liver was badly attacked by malaria, so, I was told to
rest my liver; thank God I survived.
I then travelled abroad. I did my A'levels in Birmingham
and then went to Nottingham University. I even did
A'levels twice since I was not satisfied with the result I
had the first time. Fortunately for me, I was the first
Nigerian to be admitted into Pharmacy in Nottingham
University.
WHAT WAS THE DRIVE THAT BROUGHT
YOU INTO PHARMACY? DID YOU ALWAYS
WANT TO STUDY PHARMACY?
Well, I wanted to do Classics which was what I always
had in mind until the time I fell ill. During my stay in the
hospital, a man was brought into the ward and then
diagnosed with cerebral malaria. One night, he suddenly
got out of his bed and started throwing people out of
their beds, fortunately, he did not touch me. Odeku who
was also a houseman at that time was brought in from
night duty and tried giving the man some drugs to stop
him. Every time Odeku tried getting drugs that would
calm the man down from the pharmacy, the drugs were
always not available till the man became a pest. But,
eventually he got a drug that calmed the man down.
This-the unavailability of the needed drugs-really got
me wondering what went wrong that a diligent doctor
who was trying all he could to help a patient out could
not, due to the absence of the required drug. This
experience made me change my interest from Classics
to Pharmacy.
C A N YO U T E L L U S S O M E O F YO U R
ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR SIR?
Well, where do I start? OK, I got PhD from Purdue,
then I came home (Nigeria). I worked as a lecturer at
University of Ife (from 1963). I became a professor in
January 1976 and then became the first Nigerian to be
made the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy in Ife
(invariably in Nigeria) in March 1976 which happened
to be the month I clocked 40. I was then made a fellow
of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (FPSN) in
1977. I became the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of
University of Ife on 1st of August, 1980. In 1977, I
composed the 'Oath of Pharmacists in Nigeria' which is
usually recited by fresh graduates at their induction
ceremonies as pharmacists. In 1981, I was elected
president of the West African Health Community
(WAHC) apart from being made a chief in Ife. I
received the title “Maye of Ketu land”. In December
1989, I was appointed a Federal Drug Analyst.
As a surprise to me, in March 1990, I won the 'AndreBedat Award 1990” by Federation Internationale
Pharmaceutique (FIP) with this inscription, “to an
outstanding practitioner who has made significant
contributions to Pharmacy at the international level”. In
42
1993, I became the president of the Pharmaceutical
Society of Nigeria (PSN). There are lots of
achievements but to mention a few. I must say that the
students I taught are now professors, MD CEOs and
successful individuals in different walks of life.
SIR, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT
PHARMACY PROFESSION; HOW IT WAS
YEARS BACK AND ITS FUTURE IN
NIGERIA?
My generation came in when the profession was not
well recognized. We had to walk up to recognition.
When recognition came, we saw it and it developed.
But personally am seeing a situation where
complacency is setting in. For instance, pharmacists
two generations after us don't have respect for elders.
It should be noted that, any profession that does not
respect its elders is bound to fail. We must talk more to
each other as professionals. It seems to me like we
don't know where we are going, but, it is left to you as
the younger generations to determine. There is need
for us to reflect fully by asking ourselves individually
the following questions: where did I come from? On
what basis did I come? Where am I to take the issue for
the future? All these questions are very important to
determine the future.
instance; research, development skill, interaction or
other areas.
WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND
THE PHARMACIST OATH OF 1977?
Having decided I was going to do Pharmacy and then
teach, I started asking myself what I was going to do in
that teaching. In 1976, when I became the dean of
faculty of Pharmacy in Ife, I took the oath which
Hippocrates wrote and perused it. I then gathered
information from different other sources and then
came up with an oath eventually having in mind the
question of what we were going to do as professionals
to be responsible. I then tested the oath at my base in
Ife and then went to the pharmacy board with Mr.
Coker as registrar at that time. As a pharmacist, you
should not self advertise. Focus on your patients, your
colleagues, and then the future.
WHAT IS YOUR FINAL MESSAGE TO
PANSites sir?
Not everybody can change the world; only a few
people can. Gather up like minds and discuss what has
become of our profession, then what will become of it
in years to come. When you have done this, share your
observations with a larger group. You should be
consistent, prepare to recognize your faults and wrong
moves and then make amends.
WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON PHARM. D. IN
NIGERIA?
I refuse to get involved in the controversy going on
concerning Pharm. D. The programme should aim at
making the practitioner more useful to the
environment. What I feel about Pharm. D. is that we
have not discussed it enough because we need to
decide what areas emphasis should be laid. We need to
define the areas where Pharm. D. should polish. For
43
Benefits of
Drinking Water
Drinking a healthy amount of water is vital to your health.
You gain tremendous health benefits and it sometimes
replaces migraine medicines and pain killers.
The functions of water in the human body are vital.
Water
1. Transports nutrients and oxygen into cells.
2. Moisturizes air in the lungs.
3. Protects our vital organs.
4. Detoxifies.
5. Helps our organs to absorb nutrients better.
Every cell in your body needs water from head to
toe. That is why it is so important to drink enough
fluid. If enough water is not supplied to the body,
the brain will not function well leading to headache
and migraine which are signs of dehydration.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF DRINKING WATER.
1. To lose weight: Drinking enough water helps you
lose weight because it flushes down the byeproducts of fat breakdown. Drinking water
reduces hunger; as it's an effective appetite
suppressant so you'll eat less.
2. Natural remedy for headache: Water helps to
reduce headache and back pains due to
dehydration. There are many reasons for headache
but a very common reason is dehydration.
3. Look younger with healthier skin: You'll look
younger when your skin is properly hydrated.
Water helps to replenish skin tissues, moisturizes
skin and increases skin elasticity.
4. Better productivity at work: Your brain is mostly
made up of water, thus drinking water helps you
think better and also become more alert and
concentrated.
5. Better exercise: Water also helps to fuel your
muscles; that means you'll feel more energetic 44
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
By Adeyemi Kehinde
when doing exercises.
Helps in digestion and constipation: Drinking
water raises your metabolism because it helps in
digestion. Fiber and water go hand in hand so that
you can have your daily bowel movement.
Less cramps and sprains: Proper hydration helps
keep your joints and muscles lubricated, so you are
less likely to have cramps and sprains.
Helps to boost the immune system: Drinking
plenty of water helps fight against flu and other
ailments like kidney stones and heart attack.
Helps the body get rid of wastes and toxins: Water
is used by the body to help flush out toxins and
waste products from the body.
Reduces the risk of cancer: Related to the digestive
system, studies have shown that drinking a healthy
amount of water may reduce the risks of bladder
cancer and colon cancer.
CONSEQUENCES OF NOT DRINKING A
HEALTHY AMOUNT OF WATER.
1. Tiredness
2. Migraine
3. Constipation
4. Muscle cramps
5. Irregular blood pressure
6. Dry skin
7. Kidney problems
C O M M O N S Y M P T O M S O F
DEHYDRATION.
1. Coloured urine.
2. Dry skin.
3. Thirst.
4. Hunger.
5. Fatigue.
INTERNATIONAL
PHARMACEUTICAL
STUDENTS'
FEDERATION
By Anzaku A.A
IPSF stands for International Pharmaceutical Students'
Federation. It was founded in London in 1949, the
International Pharmaceutical Students Federation (IPSF)
is one of the World's oldest international student
volunteer organization. IPSF is the leading International
advocacy organization for Pharmacy students with the
aim to promote improved public health through
provision of information, education, networking as well
as a range of publications and professional initiatives.
Today, the Federation represents over 350,000 Pharmacy
students and young graduates from 84 countries world
wide.
The headquarters is Hague, Netherlands and the official
languages are English, French and Spanish.
·
Establishing a permanent form of contact with
representatives.
·
Promoting the exchange of ideas by international
correspondence and by encouraging full dissemination
of scientific and professional knowledge.
·
Encouraging the formation and development of
national pharmaceutical students' organizations without
trespassing upon domains.
·
Covering opinions and information on the
subject of pharmaceutical education and by suggesting
improvements where necessary with the aim of attaining
unification of pharmaceutical education.
·
Encouraging member associations to organize
annual inter national phar maceutical students'
congresses;
·
Encouraging and promoting international visits
and exchange of students.
·
Publicizing the IPSF News and Bulletin as an
official organ amongst many others.
The ideal of forming this impeccable establishment in
1948, though it is a non governmental organization, was
brought from the then secretary of the Britain
Pharmaceutical Students' Association, Stephen B.
Chauen during the 6th annual congress of BPSA. The
constitution of the Federation was agreed and signed on
August 25, 1949 in London during the inaugural
conference, marking the organization's founding date.
On the same day, Sydney J. Ralph was elected as the first
president of ISPF along with 4 other Executive
committee members. The Eight (8) founding countries
were Australia, Austria, Denmark, Iceland, Ireland,
Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Regional offices
The IPSF office is a functional extension of the
IPSF Executive structured by elected students from IPSF
member countries of specific IPSF region, forming
Regional working group. Its mission shall be to advance
and support the aims and objectives of the Federation at
regional level.
African Regional Office (AFRO) was established
in 2008. The website is www.ipsf.org. The chairperson of
the African Regional Office 2012/2013 is Mr. Diallo
Afadhalli from Rwanda. It is suffice to say that several
IPSF congresses has been holding from 1949 till last year.
The next congress that will be holding in August will
mark the 58th World IPSF congress.
All hands are on deck in making sure that our
great country is featured in the congress this year.
IPSF is the leading international advocacy organization
for Pharmacy students and recent Pharmacy graduates,
promoting improved public health through provision of
information, education, networking and a range of
publications and professional initiatives.
Objectives of International Pharmacy Student's
Federation
45
THE
If over the years there has been
anything which has succeeded in
uniting the world, it has to be sports.
Ranging from the popular ones;
football, basketball, sprinting,
volleyball, tennis, and golf, to the
likes of boxing, hockey, cycling,
swimming, car racing, skating that
we are less familiar with, and
extending to the least popular ones,
those of unicycle polo, fencing,
cricket, chess boxing,
snowboarding, and the rest, the
broadness of sports' spectrum
seems to be without boundary.
Sporting events running all year
round, most especially the more
glamorous ones-the likes of UEFA
champions league (football), FIFA
world cup (football), Tour de
France (cycling), Wimbledon
(Tennis), Olympic games, Ryder
cup (golf), Rugby world cup
(Rugby), Formula one (Racing),
Melbourne cup (Horse racing), and
Cricket, are not only a glamorous
platform for bringing together
millions of people from various
parts of the globe but have always
succeeded in getting hundreds of
millions of fans glued to their
television and/ or radio sets.
The spirit of the game is a heated
one, and the hope and joy of victory
is something that resides in the
heart of ever y athlete. They
therefore do all they can-they are
always ready to go the extra lengthto achieve not just victory but a
record smashing glory. In the
course of preparation, efforts often
put into competitions by athletes
include; vig orous but steady
physical and mental trainings,
SECRETS TO A
SUCCESSFUL
SPORTING CARRIER
By: OLADEHINDE OLUWASEGUN ABIOLA ([email protected])
46
dieting to keep fit, muscle building,
and the use of medications, to
mention the usual. Various rationales
usually tendered to justifying the use
of drugs by athletes vary, though with
no sharp boundary. While most
athletes take drugs to enhance their
physical performances in the bid to
prevent them from falling behind
other competitors (not minding the
effect of the drugs on their health),
other athletes take drugs to help them
relax, summon up confidence, build
up self-esteem and to be able to cope
with the stress associated with the
constant will to win at all times. To
reduce the pain of injury that arises
during training and even
perfor mances, medication
administration cannot be denied.
Medications and food supplements
that can be considered as being fairly
'legal' and safe to use and at the same
time provide a performance benefit in
s p o r t s, i n a d d i t i o n t o h av i n g
medical/therapeutic benefits, are the
bicarbonates, beta-hydroxyl, calcium
carbohydrate powders, glucosamine
and chondroitin, intramuscular
vitamin B12, melatonin, recovery
formulas, skim milk powder, sport
drinks, specific vitamins and minerals.
However, the use of many drugs that
are deemed to providing unfair
advantages, pose health risks or seen
to violate the 'spirit of sport' by
athletes is referred to as 'doping'.
These drugs are considered illegal and
are as such banned. The International
Olympic Committee (IOC) and the
World Anti-Doping Agency have been
leading the way in the battle against
drugs in sport. Among these are the
major medications indulged in by
athletes, including the likes of;
§ Lean mass builders: to
increase the g rowth of
muscle and lean body mass
and to reduce recovery time
after injury, athletes use lean
mass builders such as
anabolic steroids, beta-2
antag onists and human
growth hormone (hGH).
Lean mass builders are
sometimes used to reduce
body fat.
Stimulants: the game of
sports is an endeavor that
calls for adequate alertness,
and full concentration. To
facilitate these, in
conjunction with increasing
aggressiveness and
decreasing fatigue, athletes
often indulge in the use of
stimulants.
§ Pain killers: injuries are
always almost inevitable and
to maintain a continual
efficient perfor mance,
athletes cannot do without
analgesics.
§ Relaxants: alcohol, betablockers and marijuana are
the commons in the league of
r e l a x a n t s e m p l oy e d b y
athletes. They are seen as of
core importance in such
sports as archery and javelin
where a steady hand is
required, and also by those
individuals who do feel
excessive nervousness or
discomfort during
competitions.
§ Diuretics: in sports such as
wrestling where cer tain
weights need to be met,
diuretics are often used for
the removal of water from
the body.
One other method of performance
enhancement employed by athletes is
what is commonly referred to as
'Blood Doping'. T his involves
removing red blood cells from the
blood and replacing them weeks later
to increase the overall number of red
blood cells in the blood. This in
essence increases the amount of
oxygen the blood can transport. Blood
doping is of significance in long
distance races.
Quite a number of these drugs are
considered illegal and hence banned
not only because they give an athlete
'unfair' advantage over another but
also due to the side effects and risks
associated with their use.
For lean mass builders such as
anabolic steroids, they can cause
47
§
severe increase in cholesterol levels,
stroke, liver disease, hypertension and
heart attack, aggression, depression
and mood swings, acne and skin
diseases, low sper m count and
impotence in males, and of course,
amenor rhea in females. Beta-2
antagonists cause nausea, headache,
dizziness, muscle cramps, and heart
flutters. The use of other lean mass
builders such as human growth
hormone can result in irregularities in
the processing of insulin and may as
well be associated with liver problems
and heart diseases.
Side effects of stimulants (e.g.
amphetamines) such as tachycardia,
hypertension, and increase in body
temperature, stroke, agitation, and
sudden cardiac death are often the
result of prolonged excessive use of
these drugs. Strong prescription
products such as narcotics are highly
addictive and are reputed to causing
impairment of mental abilities.
Alcohol, marijuana and some other
relaxants impair judgment, balance,
c o - o r d i n a t i o n , a n d m e m o r y.
Hallucinations and drowsiness are
also often re por ted following
excessive use. While the side effects of
diuretics are usually dehydration,
cramps, heart damage, and kidney
failure.The method of blood doping is
not a perfect option either. Thus, its
employment is discouraged. It causes
blood thickening, and at the same
time, can lead to hypertension, stroke,
heart attack, and even sudden death!
In order to disguise the use and
detection of illegal drugs, athletes use
masking drugs. These drugs however
are not without their own risks as they
have the tendency to cause severe
allergic reactions, nausea and
vomiting.
As much as athletes crave for the joy
of victory and are always ready to
travel past the 'normal' length to
achieving it, they should bear it in
mind for themselves that the secret to
a successful and livelong sporting
career lies in a fit and sound health. If
all you always want is to win no matter
what, then don't let your health fail; it's
of most worth.
48
Live longer with your eyeS
C L O S E D
In quest for success, we toil for years in school with a
view to attaining the means by which we could live
comfortably with life's necessities and so-called 'luxuries
of life'. However, we neglect paying cognisance to
something that is just as important-which should be
classified in the same league-as prayer, determination,
and hard work, which are distinctive benchmarks of
every successful student. We pay little or no attention to
our dear “friend”- SLEEP.
Sleep, a state of reduced consciousness during which all
voluntary activities are suspended, is essential for a
person's health and well being. Yet many people do not
realize how significant it is. Instead, they may think of it
as a waste of time. The result of this is that millions of
people do not get enough sleep and many suffer from
lack of sleep-a condition known as 'insomnia'. A recent
survey found that more people sleep for less than six
hours a night, and sleep difficulties visit 75% of us at
least a few hours per week.
Now the question is: How important is sleep? While
asleep, we go through phases of sleep, called 'rapid eye
movement', every 60 to 90 minutes throughout the
night. During these phases, the brain is most active, and
researchers believe it is performing some kind of selfrepair. When sleep cycle is interrupted and sleep is lost,
it has a cumulative effect on the body. Brain function is
affected, which results in mental inefficiency, among a
host of other physical ailments. Sacrificing needed sleep
can weaken our immune system, for it is during sleep
that the body produces T-cells that fight against
pathogens. During sleep, our body also produces the
hormone Leptin, which helps to regulate appetite. The
implication of this is that absence or lack of sleep
impairs appetite regulation. Chronic sleep loss can
contribute to health problems such as weight gain, high
blood pressure, and a decrease in the body's immunity.
Indeed, the body needs sleep as much as it needs proper
exercise and nutrition.
Taking sleep for granted, eating and drinking late, stress,
drug side effects, pregnancy, other medical conditions,
too much caffeine, alcohol and the use of sleeping
tablets are some of the common reasons why people do
not get enough sleep. Sleeping tablets?! Yes, though they
are okay to use occasionally, they stop working well and
you may become addicted when they are used regularly
as your body system gets adapted to them. Substances
such as caffeine can for the short term block the
chemical compound that signals the need for sleep.
In prevalence of sleep depriving conditions, the brain
has its own mechanism of causing sleep to occur when
the body has not had enough resulting in 'microsleeps'episodes of sleep which may last for a fraction of a
second or up to thirty seconds. No matter what you
49
happen to be doing; your sleep-deprived brain will
periodically go into the first stage of sleep for a tensecond microsleep. During that time, you would have
travelled more than the length of a football field. It's a
deep sleep indeed.
Is extra work robbing you of much-needed sleep? Do
not allow anxieties of life and worries about the future
weigh you down from getting the required amount of
sleep. The wise king Solomon once observed: “Sweet
is the sleep of the one serving, regardless of whether
it is little or much that he eats, but the plenty
belonging to the rich one is not permitting him sleep.”
·
·
·
Regular exercise for a total of about 90 minutes each
week helps us sleep soundly and contributes to the
total well-being of the body. The following reasons
affirm why we need to treasure sleep:
· LEARNING AND MEMORY: Sleep
helps the brain commit new information to
memory through a process called memory
consolidation. Studies have shown that
people who had adequate sleep after studying
did better in tests than those who didn't.
· METABOLISM AND WEIGHT: Chronic
sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by
·
50
affecting the way our bodies process and store
carbohydrates, and by altering levels of
hormones that affect our appetite.
SAFETY: Sleep debt contributes to a greater
tendency to fall asleep during the day. These
lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as
errors, domestic accidents, mishaps, and road
accidents.
MOOD: Sleep loss may result in irritability to
concentrate, and moodiness. It can also leave
us too tired to do the things we have to do.
CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH: Serious
sleep disorders have been linked to
hypertension, increased stress hormone
levels, and irregular heartbeat.
DISEASE: Sleep deprivation alters immune
function, including the activity of the body's
killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also
help fight cancer.
Sleep is too relevant to be taken for
granted, we need a good night's sleep to stay
healthy, alert and fully energized all day long.
So pray hard, work hard, play hard and live
longer and better with your eyes closed.
By ETOPIDIOK, ESTHER .J.
IO
D
A
R
VE
ACTI
S
NT
E
D
U
ST
Radioactive Students
The pharmacy profession is one
that can be likened to the worth and
value of a national treasure. It is
held by the health sector of any
community with high regard. The
English diarist, Samuel Pepys
(1633-1703), wrote in his diary“Thence I walked to the Tower; but
Lord! how empty the streets are and
how melancholy, so many poor sick
people in the streets full of
sores...in Westminster, there is
never a physician and but one
apothecary left, all being dead.” It is
really quite difficult to imagine the
th
th
17 to 19 century without the
apothecaries. Developments and
tremendous discoveries have been
made over the years. There's no
telling the extent of health
exploration the profession had
brought to humanity. How I love
the words of Henry Thomas
Buckle (1821 - 1862) - “Among the
arts, pharmacy, on account of its
eminent utility, must always hold
the highest place.”
Phar macy is a profession so
indispensable, a practice so delicate,
an ambition so lucrative, and a
course of study so interesting. The
science, the practice, the diversity,
the study, the opportunities, the
breakthroughs, developments and
the entire scope can undisputedly
be traced to the fundamental
pharmacy class room and her
students. As beautiful and intellect
demanding this field of science is,
does its study really deserve all the
energy, several hours in a day, about
5 labs a week, and sleepless reportwriting nights? This is a master
question.
A friend asked, “We go die say we
wan be pharmacists? This course is
draining life outta me. My mom
barely recognized me the other
day” This however, was during the
r e g i s t r a t i o n e xe r c i s e a t t h e
beginning of the 09/10 session
here in the school of pharmacy.
Being a part one student in the
College of Medicine, University of
Lagos as a student of pharmacy,
was such a remarkable experience.
Even with the availability of
resources for good living standard
at the period, you still may just look
nothing different from hospital
patients carrying back packs and
lab manuals. If pharmacy were to
be a bacteria species, it will best be
considered a fastidious one.
Spending cash in aliquot
proportions may really be of no
help. “I could hardly believe the
velocity at which I had been losing
weight these few weeks” a friend
said. In response, Pharm. Olamide
Bajulaiye said- “You are even still
losing weight when most of us have
lost ours a long time ago.”
51
st
At the beginning of the 1 semester
in the first quarter of the year,
careful observation proved that
these sassy and 'toosh' students had
allowed the excitement of “School
of pharmacy at last” elude the
challenge that awaited them. “He's
got the best clothes.” “He's cuter
jare.” “She is hot!” These were
whispers that emanated from
cliques of gossips. At this phase of
oblivion, the usual occurrence
always takes place. What I refer to
be the spontaneous disintegration
of radioactive nuclei. A
phenomenon highly influenced by
the bombardment of unstable
nuclei (pharm novices) with highly
moving neutron particles…yeah,
fast moving, with the velocity of
light, according to Albert Einstein.
We were bombarded at soul-point
by these neutrons- series and
episodes of lectures, hectic dub-ful
lab reports, assignments, incourses,
t e r r i b l e p hy s i o l o g y l e c t u r e
situations and so on, in the
reaction- i.e the semester. In fact it
was a nuclear fission activity, and
being a chain reaction, more
neutrons were generated as the
bombardment proceeded. Only
God was our 'Baron rod', who
helped check the regeneration of
t h e s e n e u t r o n s f r o m e ve r y
bombardment.
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LIFE
The world is a beautiful place to live in.
The trees, the birds, the sun, the moon, the
sea, the stars, the breeze all make it
interesting. Imagine you go out there in
the cool of the evening and you feel the
effect of this rushing but cooling breeze
that makes you want to forget yourself in
the midst of your troubles and challenges
and almost sweeps you off your feet. You
then ask yourself what this life is really
about.
Life is full of experiences; it makes us who
we are because it has a way of teaching us.
It gives us the opportunity to fulfill purpose and showcase our talents in a unique way. Obviously, there are
two sides to life: the good side and the bad side. Life is a journey - a never smooth one. It is full of ups and
downs. While some are on the mountain, others are in the valley crying for help! Some people can afford to
own a jet, send their children to universities abroad and can afford anything because resources are at their
reach, while some others are struggling to even eat a square meal a day. They have no place to lay their heads
and are feeding from hand to mouth; they are as poor as church mice. Why is life fair to some and unfair to
others? Is this life not full of mysteries?
Opportunity however, affects how far people go in life. This life is full of opportunities, but it depends on
how well you grasp these opportunities and makes use of them.
A child sent to school, for instance, might end up failing if he
misuses the opportunity given to him, even if his parents are
rich. Opportunities come and go; we only have to make
something out of them.
It is important to note that people you meet on your way up, can
also be met on your way down and that is why it is always good to
help people around you. It is a common saying that, what goes
around comes around. The road in life is full of undulations. It is
not always a bed of roses.
One important thing that helps one in this journey of life is
attitude. Attitude makes way for a man. Intelligence can take you
to the top, but attitude is needed for sustenance there at the top.
You must have the right kind of attitude because it attracts, just
like beautiful flowers attract insects. Some come and go without
leaving footprints in time or legacy for others to follow; some come and do what they have to do and leave
fast, in fact, some have been living for decades, yet no one has heard of them in this same life! Life poses
challenges, but you have to face them squarely and fight with every strength you have in you – yes, you must
fight for what you want. If you don't stand for something, you will definitely fall for everything. This is why you need
that driving force to keep you moving which is your will power. Nowhere in life is so smooth and predictable.
No wonder Henry Beecher wrote “I know of only one easy place therein and that's the grave”. So you see that life is
not that easy. In fact, it is not meant to be. It is not mathematics, hence, it is unpredictable. It is full of so
many dreams but tell me, how well do you actualize these dreams? Life is dependent on time. There is no
time to waste because every second counts. One thousand and one things happen to people every
second…uhmn, the grave is full of dreams and is so rich in talents, purpose, gifts and so on but many have
left this world without fulfilling their dreams. It is so sad!
52
10 A B C
Health Benefits of
A=Avocados
Avocados, or also called alligator pears, are fruits that belong to the
Lauraceae, a flowering plant family which also includes camphor,
cinnamon. These fruits are believed to be originated in Mexico, where
the name of “avocado” is derived from Aztech orNahuatl word
'ahuacatl', meaning 'testicle', a reference to the shape of the fruit. The
avocados are very popular in vegetarian cuisine, as a substitute for
meats in sandwiches and salads because of their high fat content. They
are also popular in chicken dishes and as a spread on toast, served with
salt and pepper. Avocados are considered as one of the healthiest
foods in the planet because they contain in excess of 25 essential
nutrients, including vitamin A, B, C, E, & K, copper, iron, phosporus,
magnesium, and potassium. Avocados also contain fiber, protein and
several beneficial phytochemicals such as beta-sitosterol, glutathione and lutein, which may protect against various
disease and illness. Moreover, the avocado is one of the high calorie fruits that you could be eating. This is due to its
larger amounts of fat content, approximately 20 times the average of other fruits.
Here are 10 health benefits of avocados:
· Maintain a healthy heart: Avocado contains vitamin B6 and folic acid, which helps regulate homocysteine
levels. High level of homocysteine is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Avocado also
contains vitamin E, glutathione, and monounsaturated fat, which help in maintaining a healthy heart.
· Lower cholesterol levels: Avocados are rich in a compound called beta-sitosterol which has been shown to
be effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels.
· Control blood pressure: Avocados are also a great source of potassium, which helps in controlling blood
pressure levels.
· Anti-Inflammatory properties: Phytonutrient compound found in avocados, such as polyphenols and
flavonoids have been found to have anti- inflammatory properties, thereby reducing the risk of
inflammatory and degenerative disorders.
· Promote eye health: Avocado is an excellent source of carotenoid lutein, which is known to help protect
against age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
· Regulate the blood sugar levels: The monounsaturated (good) fats in avocados can reverse insulin
resistance which helps to regulate blood sugar levels. Avocados also contain soluble fibers which keep steady
blood sugar levels.
· Prevent birth defects: Avocados are rich in folate, a B vitamin commonly known as folic acid. One cup of
avocado provides about 23% of the recommended daily value of folate. The high amount of folate in
avocado is essential in the prevention of birth defects, such as neural tube defect and spina bifida.
· Anti-aging properties: Being rich in antioxidants, avocado is beneficial in preventing aging symptoms. The
glutathione in avocado may boost immune systems, slows aging process, and encourages a healthy nervous
system.
· Cure bad breath: Avocados are one of the best natural mouth washes and bad breath remedies. They
cleanse the intestine which is the real cause of coated tongue and bad breath.
53
·
Weight gain: The avocado has 200 calories for 100 grams. Typically, fruits have approximately 60-80
calories for 100 grams. Due to the high amounts of calories, avocado is the best diet for people who want to
gain weight. Avocado is a healthy source of calories, unlike many other calorie-dense foods that may contain
excess saturated fats and sugar.
B=Banana
Banana is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows in humid,
tropical zones. It is one of the most loved tropical fruit and is
thought to be originated in the Southeast Asia. Today, banana
is probably one of the most widely cultivated crops in the
tropical and subtropical regions.
Banana is an economical and versatile fruit that is easy to find
in any supermarket around the world. Aside from being
inexpensive and delicious, the fruit also provides many
important
nutrients, such as vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C,
magnesium, and potassium, that can help prevent diseases
and keep your body healthy. Nutritional Value of Raw
Banana Apart from that, banana is also rich in fiber content
and natural sugars, like sucrose, fructose, and glucose, making it a great source of energy and easily digested fruit.
Here are 10 health benefits of banana:
· Allergies: Banana is very useful for those who are allergic to certain foods. Unlike other protein foods,
which contain amino acids that those people cannot tolerate and may cause allergy. Bananas contain only
benign amino-acids which in many cases are not allergic.
· Anemia: Being high in iron content, bananas are beneficial in the treatment of anemia. They help
stimulate, the production of hemoglobin in the blood.
· Constipation and Diarrhea: Bananas are a good remedy for constipation and diarrhea as they can help
normalize bowel functions. They also have the ability to change the harmful bacteria in the intestines
become the beneficial acidophilic bacilli.
· Helps to stop smoking: Nutrients contained in banana such as vitamins A1, B6, B12, C, magnesium, and
potassium help withdraw nicotine from the body
· Improve Mood: Bananas contain Tryptophan, an essential amino acid which is responsible for the
production of Serotonin. Serotonin is a hormone that is known to overcome depression and improve
mood.
· Improve brain function and keep alertness: Potassium found in the bananas is a good source to
improve brain and keep alertness. So add a banana to your breakfast before you start the day.
· Kidney Disorders: Being of their low protein and salt and high carbohydrate content, bananas are
valuable in kidney disorder. They are useful in uremia, a toxic condition of the blood die to kidney
congestion and dysfunction. In such cases, a diet of banana should only be taken for 3 to 4 days with
consuming 8 to 9 banana a day. This diet is suitable for all kidney problems, including nephritis.
· Menstrual disorders: Cooked banana flower and eat with curd is considered an effective medicine for
cure menstrual disorders like excessive bleeding and painful menstruation. Banana flower helps increase
progesterone hormone which reduces the bleeding.
·
·
Reduce the risk of Heart Attack and Stroke: Bananas are an excellent source of potassium which helps
keep body electrolyte and fluids balance in body cells and helps in controlling blood pressure, thus
reducing the risk of heart and stroke. Research has shown that regular intake of bananas can reduce the
risk of stroke by 40%.
Urinary Disorders: Juice from banana stem is well known remedies for urinary disorders. It increases the
kidney and liver function, thus reducing discomfort and pain conditions in it. It has been found very
helpful to remove stones in the kidney and prostate. Bananas need to be treated with caution because they
are easily bruised.
54
C=Cucumber
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is a vegetable that belongs to the gourd
family, Cucurbitaceae, which includes gourds, melons, and
squashes. It is one of the oldest cultivated vegetables and is
believed to be originated in northern India. Today, cucumbers are
the fourth most-widely grown vegetable crop in the world behind
tomatoes, onions. Cucumber is often regarded as a healthy food
because it is low in calories and fat, and also contains many
vitamins and minerals that make them a healthy choice for
cooking and snacking.
Here are 10 health benefits of cucumber:
· Keep body hydrated: Cucumber has 96% water content which helps in keeping the body hydrated and
regulating body temperature.
· Skin care: The high water content, vitamins A, B & C and the presence of certain minerals like magnesium,
potassium, and silica, make cucumbers an essential part of skin care. Ascorbic acid and caffeic acid present in
cucumbers can bring down the water retention rate which in turn diminishes the puffiness and swelling
under the eyes. Cucumber skin also can bring relief to the skin caused by sunburn or windburn.
· Fight cancers: Cucumbers are known to contain lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol – three
lignans that have a strong history of research in connection with reduced risk of several cancer types,
including breast cancer
· Control Blood Pressure: Cucumber juice contains a lot of potassium, magnesium and fiber that work
effectively for regulating blood pressure. This makes cucumber good for treating both low blood pressure
· Beneficial for teeth and gums: Cucumber juice is also beneficial for people with teeth and gums problems,
especially in cases of pyorrhea. Cucumber is a good source of dietary fiber and this fiber massage in the teeth
and gums.
· Aid digestion: Digestive disorders like acidity, heartburn, gastritis and even ulcers can be cured by the daily
consumption of fresh cucumber juice. The high water content and dietary fiber in cucumber are very
effective in driving away the toxins from the digestive system and hence aid digestion. Daily consumption of
cucumbers can be regarded as a remedy for chronic constipation.
· Relieve gout and arthritis pain: Cucumber is rich in vitamin A, B1, B6, C & D, Folate, Calcium,
Magnesium, and Potassium, when mixed with carrot juice, they can relieve gout and arthritis pain by
lowering the uric acid levels.
· Cures diabetes: The cucumber juice has been found to be beneficial for the diabetic patients. This vegetable
contains a hormone needed by the cells of the pancreas for producing insulin.
· Reduces cholesterol: Researchers found that some compound called sterols in cucumber may help reduce
cholesterol levels.
· Aid in weight loss: Due to its low calorie and high water content, cucumber is an ideal diet for people who
need weight loss.
Reference: http://www.healthonlinezine.info
Take Responsibility for your Life; continued from pg. 52
We have just one life to live, it has no duplicate. So my dear, we all have to fulfill our individual purposes on time
because time waits for no man. The clock is ticking: seconds after seconds, minute after minute, hour after hour, day
after day, week after week, month after month and eventually year after year. Life is a flower that brings out its beauty
at a time but at some point, it eventually fades away and is taken away by the breeze. Life is a teacher, the more we live,
the more we learn. The heights reached by great men were not attained by sudden flight; while their contemporaries
were sleeping, they toiled night and day.
You are in a vehicle and are set to accomplish a mission. So, don't be distracted, remain focused, grab all good
opportunities on your way. You will get there, just move on!
“You must have the right kind of attitude because it attracts, just like beautiful flowers attract insects”
55
BY OLADIMEJI MAYOWA
The
19-Year Wait
When the first AFCON (African Cup of Nations) tournament was
hosted by Sudan in 1957, it could be argued that Nigerians knew
little about the cup as well as the 23-year wait that was to follow
before the country would have her first taste of glory. This was in
the year 1980 when the tournament was hosted by Nigeria.
Fourteen years from her last triumph, the country was once again
in a jubilant mood when the super eagles as the Nigerian senior
national men's team are fondly called beat their Zambian
counterparts known as the 'chipolopolo'(meaning copper bullets)
by two goals to one to lift their second AFCON title on Tunisian
soil in the year 1994.
Nigerian fans could be pardoned for their ecstasy leading to the
2008 AFCON tournament hosted by Ghana. "Do the math", they
told one another; "1980+14=1994, 1994+14=2008". "It's
definitely our time for another cup", they enthused. In the
Nigerian soccer fans were thrown a lifeline when CAF
(Confederation of African Football) decided to shift
the nation's cup tournament to odd number years
starting from 2013 to prevent AFCON tournaments
being held on world cup tournament years which are
held on even number years.
Qualification for the 2013 AFCON tournament to be
held in South Africa was easy with the Nigerian team
thrashing their Liberian counterparts by six goals to one
at the U. J. Esuene stadium in Calabar. Next up for the
team was the camping exercise held in Faro, Portugal
which majority of Nigerian soccer fans failed to follow
with keen interest. They had already been disappointed
for longer than expected. The list for the tournament
preceding tournaments leading up to this particular
one, since the turn of the millennium, the team had
picked up one runners-up medal and three bronze
medals. However, the shambolic display of the team at
that tournament which was highlighted by crashing out
at the quarter final stage to a 10-man Ghanaian team
was only soothed slightly by another third place finish at
the 2010 edition of the AFCON tournament in Angola.
On the 8th of October 2011, Nigerian football was
thrown into its darkest period in 26 years when under
the guidance of coach Samson Siasia, the country failed
to qualify for the 2012 edition of the tournament
hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon after drawing
the last qualification match with Guinea in Abuja.
56
proper was received with an air of pessimism. Only 6
players had participated in a previous AFCON
tournament. "How could he have picked 6 home-based
players?” Nigerians asked one another in disbelief.
When the first and second matches were played
against Burkina Faso and Zambia (the defending
champions at the tournament), both ending in 1-1
stalemates, even the die-hard fans of the team had little
reason to remain optimistic. "Only the GOD who won
Chelsea the 2012 champions league can win Nigeria
this cup", the most religious Nigerian fans observed.
The favourable results then began to come the team's
way along with a marked improvement in the
performances of the team starting with the final group
game against the Ethopian team which ended in a 2-0
victory in favour of the super eagles. This was followed
by a massive 2-1 win over pre-tournament favourites
Ivory Coast and a resounding 4-1 win over West
African neighbours Mali, a team previously coached by
the Nigerian coach at the tournament; Stephen
Okechukwu Keshi.
The final was against the team that had caused the
Nigerian team an upset in its first group game by
scoring a late equaliser deep into injury time. However,
there was to be no repeat of such performance or
result. The Nigerian team emerged victorious on the
day with a comfortable 1-0 score line with the only goal
of the match scored by Sunday Mba who as fate would
have it, was one of the home-based players at the
tournament. The final match played on a Sunday,
forced creative Nigerian minds into coming up with
messages like "Burkina Faso wanted to test us, but we
said Mba (which could mean 'no' in Igbo language but
also the goal scorer's name) on a Sunday (the other
name of the goal scorer)."
Sunday the 10th day of February 2013 is remembered
as the day the 19-year wait for the super eagles to win
the AFCON trophy for the third time in the history of
the competition finally came to an end. Now another
question presents itself: How many years would we
have to wait for a fourth trophy? 2 years? 4 years? 14
years? 19 years? Only time will tell.
By Nwanya Somutochukwu Sullivan
Radio-active Students; continued from pg. 51
Moreover, every nuclear reaction results in the release of enormous amount of energy. We had been pushed to the
wall by these neutrons and its likes. It was high time we bragged with our resultant nuclear energy. Like a negative
feedback mechanism. Gold obtains its lustrous, expensive and shiny appearance after series of refining and melting
processes. Prior to purification, it looks ugly, unpleasant and waste-bound. At refining, it is melted, beaten,
expanded, contracted, and pierced and so on. But it emerges in the end to be one of the world's most expensive
metals. For me, part one pharmacy class involved a series of bombardment principles and refining policies. We
became radioactive as time went on. Subsequently, our nuclear energy became ineffable, insurmountable,
inevitable, unfathomable and indescribable. The world needs us and cannot but requires our knowledge. In every
part one pharmacy student is a pharmaceutical company, a general hospital, a health minister, a managing director,
an entrepreneur and so on.
It all starts from the ever green part one pharmacy class. Then the entire journey… after which we become refined,
renewed, reformed, prepared and good to go in the profession. Despite the tasks, the adventure, the smooth and
turbulent times, we will all emerge as active as therapeutically active drugs. Remember that master question? Good.
The answer is yes! Why? We are the radioactive students.
In a nutshell, the journey may have been rough, crooked and unpleasant, looking like God has left you like the
electromeric electron shift, probably because you could only see a couple of footsteps behind as you went; God will
always carry you... Just recognize this fact and trust Him.
To everyone I'm associated with, more neurons to your brains. I wish you all the best in every in-course and exam;
57
Awiligwe Arinze O.
Much
ADo
About
FASHION
58
FASHION
It is believed that the school of pharmacy is not the
ideal stage for expressing one's love or craze for
fashion, with the strict dress code constraints and the
level of professionalism expected that all students
exude, some students however have managed to find a
way.
There has been a not-too-recent explosion in the
population of students with body piercings and/or
tattoos. Now hold on, I don't have a problem with a
couple of ear piercings and 'subtle' tattoos, subtle
being the key word, but there is a need to remind
ourselves that as much as individuality and personal
style is applauded, celebrated even and admired, we,
pharmacists, remain professionals and no
patient/customer/employer of labor will trust a
pharmacist with an eyebrow or lip piercing or a skull,
dragon or even a sparrow tattoo to be exactly that; a
professional.
There are also some trends that are sometimes
unavoidable, (SOMETIMES!!!), with the dress code
policy of the school of pharmacy. Permit me to refer
to them as the VPLs.
The Visible Panty Lines for the ladies and the Visible
Phallus Lines for men. Unfortunately, and regrettably
so, there is no side stepping these issues. They are real
and we encounter them almost every day! The VPLs
are horrid, offensive, distracting and inappropriate. They make the, obviously unwilling, observer harbor unclean
and offensive thoughts which are not just grossly distracting but can be the early roots of a sexual
offense/scandal just waiting to happen.
The Visible Panty Lines occur mostly as a result of ill-fitting under wears, wearing tight fitting clothes also go a
long way in increasing their visibility. Now, since I don't want to appear obstinate by critiquing and not providing
a remedy. Ladies, here's how you avoid a VPL.
One, get your proper fit when shopping for your under wears, avoiding as much as possible those with elastic
bands.
Two, get clothes in your correct size, not the size you aspire to be.
Three, if you must indeed wear tight fitting clothes, get the appropriate under wears for such apparels.
The Visible Phallus Lines, on the other hand, are caused by a lack of underwear, a lack of good underwear or
wearing of boxers. So gentlemen, here's how you avoid a VPL.
One, invest in briefs. It is understandable that you would want more….room but like bras, they have a job, to
hold it all together. Permit them to do their jobs.
Two, avoid tight fitting trousers (AKA mosquito trousers as my dear Dean aptly named them)
Three, if you must be fashion forward with tighter trousers, make then chinos.
Don't get it wrong though, this piece is primarily a fashion rant. Yes, it discusses issues we come across on
probably a daily basis in our schools of pharmacy, or at least in my school, but no, it is not an exclusive guide on
how you can or cannot or should or should not express yourself as you see fit AND appropriate.
To each his own!
59
Funny and
Interesting
Facts
BY KENE' KINGSLEY
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18. If you ate too many carrots, you'd turn to
orange
19. It would take 120,000,000 mosquitoes, each
sucking once, to completely drain the average
human of blood.
20. Bamboo can grow up to 3ft in 24 hours
21. American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by
eliminating one olive from each salad served
in first class
22. Our eyes are always the same from birth, but
our ears and nose never stop growing.
23. The cockroach is the fastest animal on 6 legs,
covering a meter in one second.
24. Google, with a brand value of $86 billion, is
the world's most powerful brand
25. A person can live without food for about a
month, but only a week without water. If the
water in your body is reduced by 1%, you'll
feel thirsty. If it's reduced by 10%, you'll die.
26. A normal person laughs about five times a
day
27. By age 60, most people have lost half of their
taste buds
28. Humans use 14 muscles to smile, and 43
muscles to frown
29. Guinea pigs and rabbits don't sweat
30. On average, dogs have better eyesight than
humans, although not as colorful.
It is impossible to lick your elbow
A crocodile can't stick its tongue out
A shrimp's heart is in its head
People say “Bless You” when you sneeze
because when you sneeze, your heart stops
for a milli-second
It is physically impossible for pigs to look up
to the sky
Rats and Horses can't vomit
If you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib
If you try to suppress a sneeze, you can
rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck,
and die
If you keep your eyes wide open when you
sneeze, you can pop an eyeball out.
Most lipsticks contain fish scales
Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is
different
The Grammy Awards were introduced to
counter the threat of rock music.
Vodka , in Russian means “little water”
During an interview, when Adele was asked
about her weight, she replied “I don't make
music for eyes, I make music for ears”
Bruce Lee was so fast that they actually had to
slow a film down so you could see his moves.
That's the opposite of the norm
Tiger sharks embryos fight each other in their
mother's womb. The last survivor is born
111,111,111*111,111,111 =
12345678987654321
60
POEMS
Remind yourself
Remind yourself of the reason you live, of what you want the outcome to be like, of how
you want to attain your goals.
Remind yourself of the things you said, things that you desired; do you still desire them?
Remind yourself of what you have gone through, do you want it to be in vain?
Remind yourself of who you are, where you are and where you are going.
Remind yourself of YOU because all the answers are in YOU.
-ELIZABETH
My apology
Roses are red plus blood is the same; if your heart feels dreads then I deserve the blame.
If chilliness is from rain then death is the same, if your heart feels pain then I deserve the
blame.
If coldness is from wetness then your tears are the same, because my heart bears witness
that I deserve the blame.
If anxiety causes you heartache then my depression is the same, of your suffering I must
partake because I know I deserve the blame.
If my apologies are sincere then your forgiveness should be the same, because I still hold
you dear so please take away the blame
-VICTOR MONDAY
The Pharmacy Student
The life of the pharmacy student is one so challenging and to add to that time
demanding.
He is so busy preparing, compounding and dispensing,
In fact he is expected to know all aspects of his discipline.
Prescription in Latin he decodes and their dosage forms he records,
His best friend is his codex and at the back he finds so useful the index.
Information on preparations it buttresses and their side effects it addresses.
The lab practical are a whole new experience and for some menace,
Classes are compulsory and attendance is mandatory, late night reading is a part of life,
Reading 20 pages a day is essential to avoid strife.
But all hope is not lost for in God I trust and my course I fancy,
So I welcome you to the faculty of pharmacy!
VICTOR MONDAY
JOKES
Joke 1
A man had a pet centipede. He said, “centipede, go get the paper and make it snappy!”
A half an hour later, the man went outside and said, “I thought I told you to get the paper a half an hour
ago!”
“Well, I had to put on my shoes,” said the centipede.
Joke 2
A man was looking out of his window when he noticed that there was a snail on one of his plants. So, he
took the snail and threw it as far as he could. Ten years later, the old man heard a tap tap on his window, and
when he looked up, he saw a very cross snail which looked at him and said, “hey, what did you do that for?”
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Joke 3
Three sons left home to make their fortunes, and they all did very well for themselves. They got together
recently and were discussing what they each had done to benefit their aged mother.
“Well,” said the first one, “I bought Mom a huge house in Banana Island.”
“I bought her a Toyota Avensis and hired a full-time driver for her,” said the second.
“I've got you both beaten,” said the third, “I bought her a miraculous parrot that can recite any Bible verse you
tell it to.”
A little later, the mother sent out a thank you letter to all the three sons. “Scott-the house you bought was too
big. I only live in one room, but I have to clean the entire house. Michael-the car is useless because I don't go
anywhere because I'm too old. But Charles-you know exactly what I like. The chicken was so delicious.”
RIDDLES
Q. Who comes to a picnic but is never invited?
A. Ant.
Q. What letter can hurt you if it gets too close?
A. B (bee).
Q. Why did the fly never land on the computer?
A. He was afraid of the world wide web.
Q. Why are As like flowers?
A. Because bees come after them.
Q. What do you call a fly without wings?
A. A walk.
Q. What creature is smarter than a talking parrot?
A. A spelling bee.
Q. What is on the ground and also a hundred feet in the air?
A. A centipede on its back.
Q. What do you call two ants that run away to get married?
A. Ant-elopes.
Q. What does the dog say to the flea?
A. Stop bugging me.
Q. What do frogs order when they go to a restaurant?
A. French Flies.
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