By Doris Obinna
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Lagos State Branch, has called on the Lagos State Government to urgently reform and strengthen the Directorate of Pharmaceutical Services (DPS) within the Ministry of Health, citing a critical shortage of registered pharmacists and growing threats to drug regulation and patient safety.
Chairman PSN, Olaitan Ogunlade made the appeal on Sunday during the 2026 Annual Luncheon of the PSN held at the Lagos Sheraton Hotel, where he also presided over the inauguration of newly elected executives and highlighted key issues affecting healthcare delivery in the state.
He noted that the Directorate of Pharmaceutical Services (DPS), once a pioneering and pace-setting institution in Nigeria’s healthcare system, is now facing a severe manpower deficit that undermines its statutory responsibilities. According to him, the DPS is tasked with overseeing critical operations such as pharmaceutical inspection, drug quality control, counterfeit medicine enforcement, malaria control programmes, and drug abuse campaigns.
Despite commending the government for promoting pharmacists to director-level positions, Ogunlade warned that the expansion of pharmaceutical services into other state health agencies, including the Health Service Commission, Primary Healthcare Board, and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), has left the Ministry of Health with only one functional director overseeing more than ten units.
He expressed concern that the shortage has led to encroachment into pharmacists’ statutory roles, particularly in drug handling and dispensing, in violation of provisions of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) Act. He stressed that all facilities where drugs are stored or dispensed must operate under the supervision of qualified pharmacists as required by law.
Ogunlade urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to approve the immediate recruitment of more pharmacists into the state civil service. He also recommended the redeployment of senior pharmacists from other health agencies back to the Ministry of Health as a temporary measure to restore efficiency and professional standards.
The PSN chairman emphasised that strengthening pharmaceutical services is essential to safeguarding public health and ensuring proper drug regulation across the state.
Speaking on the significance of the annual luncheon, Ogunlade said proceeds from the event would fund the society’s programmes for the year.
He outlined plans to upgrade the PSN secretariat, enhance the organization of its Scientific Week, and expand initiatives such as the Pharmacists Support Programme. He also congratulated outstanding graduates from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos, encouraging them to pursue excellence and contribute meaningfully to the profession.
The event attracted dignitaries, healthcare professionals, and stakeholders from across the state, with Ogunlade expressing confidence that the gathering would further strengthen collaboration and advance the goals of the pharmacy profession in Lagos.
