Federation of African Pharmacists’ Associations

Africa is now a rising continent in all aspects of development. Holistic societal development results in the demand for quality health products and services. However, there are still problems in the competence, mix, and a number of health professionals in general and pharmacy professionals in particular. The problem is further exacerbated by the endemic problem of developing nations – brain-drain of competent professionals to the developed world seeking for better remuneration and improved standards of living.

It is believed that professional networking and professional development opportunities within nations and across countries in the continent are not widely exercised. This, coupled with other factors, may result in low satisfaction of professionals which consequently contributes to the provision of inferior quality of services and pharmaceutical products to the society.

Professionalism and professional ethics are the foundation for any profession to flourish and be well accepted by society.  In the delivery of health services, there is absolute information asymmetry between the public and the professionals who actually render the services. As a result solid professional commitment and living up to the ethical code of conduct entrusted by the society is nonnegotiable. However, some researches in the continent indicate that breach of professional ethics is really challenging the provision of standard health services. This may be manifested in the production, circulation and use counterfeit medical products.

To harness the synergistic effect of organized pharmacy professionals in the continent and contribute its due share to the professional and economic integration which are also the agendas of national governments in Africa, establishing regional professional associations/societies/federations is a call of the day. It helps pharmacists in the continent to be able to keep themselves abreast of current technology and service advancements in the pharmaceutical sector which may result in their heightened motivation. This enables the profession to flourish and the professionals deliver quality pharmaceutical services that the public is entitled to get.