ACTIVITIES PROSPECTS HOD PROFILE
PHARMACY TECHNICIANS' COURSE
Pharmacist Council of Nigeria (PCN) is the statutory agency of Federal Government charged with regulating Pharmaceutical education and produce all over the Federation, This is because Pharmacy and related issues are in the exclusive legislative list of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Hitherto and precisely before 2001 the Council has been regulating the training for Pharmacists in nine (9) of the Universities in the country and the practice of Pharmacy in the four (4) main technical areas which include:
(i) Industrial (Manufacturing) Pharmacy
(ii) Hospital / Administrative Pharmacy
(iii) General (Community) Pharmacy
(iv) Academic Pharmacy
In 2001 however PCN commenced training and registration of Pharmacy Technicians. The training was suspended in the state in 1990 with the introduction of new scheme of service for pharmacy technician coupled with new syllabus for the three years pharmacy technician training in Schools of Hygiene / Technology in Nigeria.
Pharmacy Technicians constitute the intermediate cadre in Pharmacy Practice by provisions of the Law Scope training. They are expected to work under close supervision of registered and licenced Pharmacist in all the area of Pharmacy Practices. Pharmacy / Technician cadre is of particular relevance in Local Government Health facilities because of the shortage or absence of Pharmacists at the level of Health Care in most state of the Federation.
(i) Dispensary Attendant: 1959 - 1974
(ii) Dispensary Assistant: 1975 - 1978
(iii) Pharmacy Assistant: 1979 - 1981
(iv) Pharmacy Technician: 1983 - 1990
(v) Pharmacy Technician: 2001 - 2004
In April 2001 Pharmacist council of Nigeria granted accreditation to the school to commence the programme. Entrance examination was conducted in September 2001 while the 2002, 2004 set of Pharmacy Technicians resumed academic Work in January 2002. The school was granted full accreditation for the programme in August 2002. Upon completion of the course the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria (PCN) would issue Pharmacy Technician Certificate to successful trainees.
Training Objectives
a. To train suitably qualified person in the basic knowledge of handling simple medicines for use at grassroots level under the supervision of a registered pharmacist.
b. To train suitable persons to the level of rendering assistance to registered Pharmacist in Manufacturing, (Industrial), Clinical Services, Academics and General (Community) Pharmacies.
Admission Requirement
5 credit passes in English Lang., Mathematics, Biology ,Physics and Chemistry in any of GCE, SSCE, WAEC OR NECO in not more than 2 sittings.
Duration: 3 years (Six Semesters)