Stop favouring doctors above other health professionals, pharmacists urge FG
..says breeding disunity, inefficiencies
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has called on the federal government to stop favouring doctors ahead all other health professionals, but ensure fairness and a level playing ground for all professionals in the nation’s health sector.
The association accused government for displaying apathy and favouritism in the administration of the nations health sector, warning hat one-sided policies and preferential treatment have continued to breed disunity and inefficiency in the delivery of quality healthcare.
Ayuba Ibrahim, the PSN President said this during the pre-conference press briefing on Tuesday in Lagos, ahead of the Society’s 98th Annual National Conference (DABO 2025). He urged government to end all forms of favouritism in the health sector and to treat every professional group with equal respect and opportunity.
“There has been too much bias in the management of our health system, and it is time to correct this. Pharmacy and other professions within the health sector deserve the same recognition, consideration, and opportunities to serve. The time has come to eliminate favoritism and bias in the sector”, he said.
“We need a health system that rewards competence, not connections. Pharmacists play a crucial role in healthcare delivery, and their welfare must reflect that reality”, he added.
The president further decried that the profession is losing talent rapidly as current data shows that over 8,200 pharmacists have failed to renew their licenses in the past five years, many of them having migrated abroad citing institutional apathy and lopsidedness in the sector, especially regarding remuneration and policy implementation.
He specifically condemned the proposed salary relativity between the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) and the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), describing the move as unjust and capable of widening existing divides.
He warned that the proposal, if allowed, will further deepen the inequality that already exists in the system.
“The PSN will resist any attempt to trample on the rights of pharmacists and other health workers who play vital roles in sustaining patient care and national health outcomes. We insist that this cannot stand. otherwise, it becomes meaningless to study any other health course apart from Medicine. The existing CBA with the Federal Government is clear: our wages must be parity-based, not relativity-based. The PSN and JOHESU will resist any attempt to entrench such an immoral and unlawful policy” he said.
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He also faulted what he described as government’s selective attention in healthcare development, stressing that pharmacists must be carried along in national policy planning and implementation if Nigeria is to build a sustainable and efficient healthcare system.
He further criticised the recurring establishment of Universities of Medicine/Medical Sciences, saying the concept is discriminatory and unconstitutional, as it excludes other vital health disciplines.
“The idea of naming new institutions Universities of Medicine is not only misleading but also unconstitutional. It sends the wrong message that medicine is superior to other health professions, which is not true. Every discipline in the health sector is essential to quality healthcare delivery”, he stressed.
