History and Evolution of Pharmacy in Nigeria

A set of vocabulary-style flashcards covering key concepts, milestones, institutions, and roles in the history and evolution of pharmacy in Nigeria.

Pharmacy

A public health discipline responsible for discovery, production, control, disposal, and safe and effective use of drugs.

Traditional healers in Nigeria

Pre-19th century healers who used clay, plants, animal parts, or supernatural means; healing knowledge passed verbally and sometimes lost with death.

19th-century Western education in Nigeria

Introduction of Western education; documentation of traditional healing activities began, shaping formal training later.

Mr Richard Zaccheus Bailey

Opened the first medicine shop in Lagos in 1887; an early trainer of dispensers.

School of Pharmacy, Lagos (1925)

First formal school to train dispensers, marking a move toward formal pharmacy education.

Early Nigerian hospitals (1900)

Lagos, Asaba, Abeokuta, and Calabar hospitals under medical officers with a common hospital formulary.

Dispensers (early pharmacists)

Medical staff who prepared and dispensed medicines; many were called dispensers rather than pharmacists.

Community pharmacy in Nigeria

Retail pharmacies serving the public; growth from the 1880s, with many shops by 1960 and hundreds of registered pharmacists.

West African Drug Company Ltd (1924)

A major Lagos-based drug company established to supply medicines.

Phillips Medicine Stores (1940s)

Retail pharmacy founded by Thomas King Ekundayo Phillips in Lagos.

Industrial Pharmacy Practice in Nigeria

Industrial-scale drug production and manufacturing began in the 1940s–1960s; today there are numerous manufacturers.

Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN)

Regulatory body for pharmacy education and practice; established in 1992 under the Federal Ministry of Health.

National Universities Commission (NUC)

Regulates Nigerian universities; introduced changes such as a 15-week semester system in 1990.

PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) in Nigeria

Advanced professional degree; first introduced to Nigeria in 2003, with UNIBEN as the first to run it.

Paradigm shift in pharmacy education

Move from a product-oriented to a patient-oriented focus, requiring more clinical skills and patient care training.

Five developmental stages of Nigerian pharmacy education

1) Apprenticeship training (1887–1923); 2) Formal schools (1927–1930); 3) Chemists/Druggists training (1927–1972); 4) Bachelor’s degree (1963–present); 5) PharmD (2016–present).

Yaba Higher College (1927)

First school of dispensers in Lagos, later evolving into higher education in pharmacy.

Zaria School of Pharmacy (1930)

Early training site that contributed to the development of pharmacy education in Nigeria.

Ibadan/NCAST transition (1957)

Yaba School of Dispensers moved to Ibadan and became part of the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology.

University of Ife / Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) pharmacy (1962–1966)

Institution that took over the program and produced early BPharm graduates; first BPharm graduates occurred in 1966.

Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) pharmacy

Introduced a three-year degree program; ABU produced early pharmacy graduates around 1968.

JAMB reforms in pharmacy (1984)

Pharmacy entry through JAMB; reforms led to a four-year degree and subsequent changes in graduation timelines.

NUC 15-week semesters (1990)

National Universities Commission reformed academic terms to two 15-week semesters per year.

Code of Ethics for Pharmacists

Professional standards governing duties to patients, colleagues, the community, and self; emphasize confidentiality, non-discrimination, and integrity.

Pharmacist responsibilities to patients

Be objective, prioritize patient welfare over finances, and respect patient confidentiality.

Pharmacist responsibilities to colleagues

Cooperate with colleagues and strive for fair remuneration and high-quality services.

Pharmacist responsibilities to self and premises

Maintain professional conduct, stay updated in drug therapy, ensure professional premises, and avoid misleading advertising.