In a study published in the Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice, Dr. Alexandre Chan, Founding Chair of the Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, and his team presented their findings from a survey that analyzed the perception on hematology/oncology pharmacy practice and education needs in Nigeria.
“Nigeria has one of the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates among African countries. Unfortunately, the country is also actively facing a limited health workforce for cancer management. There are very few pharmacists specializing in oncology pharmacy practice in Nigeria, which has significantly impacted the delivery of cancer care in the country,” Dr. Chan explained.
During an August 2023 visit to University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital in Nigeria, Dr. Chan identified the limited infrastructure for oncology pharmacists in the country, citing a lack of investigational drug storage facilities, alarm systems for cold chain therapies, protective equipment, and structured training programs.
The observance of these limitations inspired Dr. Chan to establish a formal record of current training and practice gaps in hematology/oncology pharmacy in Nigeria, with the ultimate goal of improving the practice of hematology/oncology pharmacy in the nation. The reporting of survey results presented in “Perception on hematology/oncology pharmacy practice and education needs in Nigeria: A national survey” is an initial step toward these efforts.
The study reports that 73% of survey respondents stated that they have not received any oncology pharmacy training as part of their education, and 81% of survey respondents stated that they are not integrated into multidisciplinary cancer care teams at their workplace. The survey results also showcase the importance of prioritizing training in cancer therapeutics and chemotherapy pharmacology, as compared to other training needs. Additionally, the team identified significant gaps in board certification among Nigeria’s pharmacists.
“None of the respondents are board certified in any specialties, with less than one-third of the respondents aware of the existence of board certification in pharmacy,” Dr. Chan reported. “The participants who had heard of board certification recognized that the highest barrier for attaining board certification was cost, followed by a lack of study materials, testing sites and trainers, and recognition among employers.”
Based on these findings, addressing board certification gaps is a priority, as is providing training opportunities. Dr. Chan is using the survey results to inform his work in Nigeria, which includes mentoring pharmacists and discussing strategies to expand board certification with the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties. He has also helped to secure grant funding from the International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners (ISOPP) to provide training in biosimilars utilization in Nigeria, an initiative that aims to improve the awareness and utilization of biosimilars and provide solutions to drug shortage and access problems in low-middle income countries.
“We hope our findings will allow hospital administrators and policy makers to establish effective strategies to improve the practice and provision of cancer care in Nigeria,” said Dr. Chan. “Improving health disparities in low-middle income countries is a journey that requires close partnership. I would like to thank Dr. Oluwabusayo Abolarin, Assistant Director of Pharmaceutical Services at University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, who has worked tirelessly to engage with the multiple pharmacy organization in order to disseminate the survey. I would also like to thank Dr. Modupe Lydia Olarewaju, Deputy Director of Pharmaceutical Services at University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, for her tremendous support of this project. It is truly an honor for me to work so closely with pharmacy partners in Nigeria to improve their knowledge gap and address health disparities.”
