The 2026 Pharmacy Week is themed “A New Era in Pharmacy: Performance-Driven Workforce Development for Health System Transformation in Ogun State,” underscoring the Society’s resolve to build a competent, innovative and performance-oriented pharmaceutical workforce capable of driving sustainable improvements in health outcomes.
The opening activity, held on Monday at the PSN Ogun State Secretariat, featured a free medical outreach targeted at residents of Lukosi Community, Abeokuta, with over 100 beneficiaries expected. Services provided included free medical consultations, screening for malaria, typhoid, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, blood pressure and blood glucose levels, as well as medication counselling and health education.
Speaking with journalists at the event, the Chairman of PSN Ogun State Branch and Chief Host of the Pharmacy Week, Pharm. (Mrs.) Oyesunlola Olusola Okunuga, said the outreach was organised by merit award winners and fellows of the profession under the Society.
“We are expecting nothing less than 100 people. Even if they are 150, we are prepared to cater for them. We have the drugs and everything needed to serve the community,” Okunuga stated.
She explained that sensitisation activities were carried out ahead of the outreach through churches and the Community Development Association to ensure community participation.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Pharmacy Week Planning Committee, Pharm. Ogunbe Olumide, described the Lukosi outreach as a strategic shift in approach.
“This is the first time we are holding our medical outreach directly within a community instead of markets or motor parks. We decided to stay within this community so the people here can fully benefit,” he said.
Olumide added that the programme has been expanded this year to include family planning sensitisation and environmental sustainability initiatives.
According to him, partner organisations such as APIN are supporting hepatitis and HIV/AIDS testing, while other non-governmental organisations are providing education on family planning and related health services.
As part of the week’s activities, PSN Ogun State Branch will also carry out a tree planting exercise to promote environmental conservation and curb ozone layer depletion.
The official opening ceremony of the 2026 Pharmacy Week is scheduled for Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Marquee, Abeokuta, by 10:00 a.m.
The ceremony is expected to attract key stakeholders from government, academia, traditional institutions and the healthcare sector.
The keynote address will be delivered by Pharm. (Prof.) Lere Baale, FPSN, FNaPharm, Chief Executive Officer of Business School Netherlands International, Lagos, who is expected to share insights on leadership, workforce development and healthcare system transformation.
Dignitaries expected at the event include the President of PSN, Pharm. Ayuba Tanko Ibrahim, FPSN; the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba (Prof.) Saka Adelola Matemilola, CFR; Ogun State First Lady, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun; Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide; Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker; and the Ogun State Head of Service, Mr. Olanrewaju Iskeel Saka, among others.
The Pharmacy Week will also feature scientific sessions, professional recognition, stakeholder engagements, community health advocacy programmes and the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Society, where key professional and policy issues affecting pharmacy practice in Ogun State will be deliberated upon.
PSN Ogun State Branch reaffirmed that pharmacists remain central to the delivery of safe, effective and patient-centred care, noting that investments in workforce capacity, leadership development, digital health skills and collaborative practice are critical to transforming healthcare delivery in the state.
The Society has therefore called on pharmacists, healthcare professionals, policymakers, development partners, students and members of the public to actively participate in the 2026 Pharmacy Week and support the collective vision of a stronger, more responsive healthcare system in Ogun State.
