Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has called on the federal government to stop favoring 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
favoritism in the administration of the nation’s health sector, warning that
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
favoritism 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.
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 criticized 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 said
 accuses government of favouring doctors){kind=link}
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