Nigeria’s healthcare turf war has flared again as the West Africa Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP) lambasted the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) for opposing the new Consultant Pharmacist cadre.
In a statement, WAPCP Nigeria Chair, Dr. Margaret Obono, called the NMA’s stance “hostile, combative and retrogressive,” accusing it of clinging to a hierarchy that stifles collaboration. She said the NMA’s May 8 communiqué—warning hospital CMDs against implementing the cadre—was a direct challenge to a government-backed reform already approved by the National Council on Establishment.
“Who is the employer—the government or the NMA?” Obono asked, noting that consultant pharmacists are standard in the UK, Canada and Australia, improving patient outcomes through advanced medication management.
She accused NMA and the National Association of Resident Doctors of putting titles and money ahead of patient safety, urging an end to “professional ego” and a focus on saving lives.
