Philip Olasukanmi Ogbeye is a graduate of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Niger Delta University, for the 2022-2023 session. He finished with five distinctions out of six from his faculty with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.72 on a scale of 5. In this interview by Kingsley Alumona, he speaks about his academic journey and the Nigerian pharmaceutical industry.
What inspired you to study Pharmacy? And why did you choose Niger Delta University (NDU) to study it?
As an inquisitive child, I have always had an aptitude for the sciences, especially as they relate to living systems. My interests were spurred even further by the deliberate efforts of my biology and chemistry teachers, Mrs Wegwu Judith Itoro and Mrs Maryjulliet respectively.
However, I found all the inspiration I needed to pursue a career in the health profession embedded deep within the graceful personas of my preceptors at church, Dr Mrs Toluhi Helen and Professor Etebu Ebitimitula Nicholas, who were — and are still — inspiring leaders in the healthcare sector. I remember battling a challenging throat infection as a kid, and upon consulting Prof, he prescribed some drugs that quickly resolved my condition. I thought it was “cool.” I needed to have that magical power too.
Here I am, more than 10 years later, with the same power — albeit to a relatively modest degree. While I set out trying to study Medicine, Pharmacy found me, and I have never been more grateful.
My choice of institution was on recommendation from a friend. In the heart of one of Nigeria’s largest crude oil deposits, I found a resting place after three trials at other institutions.
How would you describe the kind of education you had in your faculty at NDU?
Niger Delta University is the epitome of excellence. Ranked the most efficient university in Nigeria by the NUC in 2021, my alma mater lives up to her slogan — Creativity, Excellence and Service — and the Faculty of Pharmacy is no different. In a nutshell, I would categorise the kind of learning experience I had as “active learning,” just as my most esteemed Professor of Pharmacognosy, Kolawole Ajibesin, would put it. From laboratory work to classroom sessions, my colleagues and I were intellectually engaged. We were made to think inside and outside the box. Expectations have been exceeded and my lecturers and preceptors have set the bar so high.
The quality of graduates from my institution mirrors the quality of education we have received. Being recognised by the Top100 Youth Network as a Top100 African Future Leader alongside my colleague and friend, Favour Meye, who also holds an award from the Royal African Young Leadership Forum (RAYLF), is a testament to the quality of education we have received. The society celebrates the contributions of my colleagues who are changemakers in their chosen fields of endeavours.
What aspects of pharmacy interest you more and why?
Pharmacy, as a profession, opens us all to multiple vistas. However, I find the industrial and community practice areas more intriguing. From the production of drugs, distribution, and dispensing, we cannot overemphasise the value of pharmacists. I hope to foster the utilisation of technology to improve these areas, in terms of enhancing the efficiency of drug design and development using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning and improving the patient-pharmacist relationship through tele-pharmacy and remote consultations.
To make a First Class is not easy. What did you do differently to achieve this feat?
As I ponder this question, I begin to realise that it is indeed what I did not do differently that made all the difference. What do I mean? I belonged to a group of five friends, five of whom were First Class students. I found myself doing whatever it was they were doing. When they picked up their books, I knew it was time to read ─ when I picked up mine, they knew they had to be on their feet. We all know the old saying, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”. It works, like magic.
While you have to know yourself and understand what works for you, this recommendation is timeless, foolproof even. Surround yourself with people who will lift you higher.
What was the title of your final-year project and what were the major findings from it?
I undertook my final year project with the Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, under the professional guidance and supervision of Professor Benjamin Umar Ebeshi. The research project was titled, ‘Spectrophometric analysis and quality evaluation of Amlodipine tablet formulations’.
Amlodipine, a commonly prescribed anti-hypertensive medication, is marketed and distributed by various brands in the market. With the incidence of substandard, falsely labelled, falsified and counterfeit medical products, which ultimately lead to avoidable morbidity, mortality or treatment failure, there is a need to make certain that every drug product meets the pharmacopeia standards to ensure optimal clinical outcomes.
In my study, six different commercial brands of Amlodipine tablet formulations underwent qualitative evaluation for weight uniformity, friability, disintegration, and dissolution rates using standard physical techniques. Additionally, a quantitative assay was conducted using a spectrophotometric method with measurements taken at a wavelength of 240 nm.
The study showed that only four out of the six brands passed the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) requirement for percentage drug content. This ultimately means that the brands in question may contain more or less of the active ingredient and may consequently lead to toxicity or therapeutic failure.
In the course of your studies, what were the situations you think the school could improve on to make life and schooling comfortable for students and staff?
Schooling at Niger Delta University offered me an amazing experience, but not without its challenges. Transportation to and from school consumed a significant chunk of my living allowance. This was because of the distance between the campuses where the lecture rooms and the laboratories were located. If all the facilities required for our training were located on the same campus, we could be sure of reducing the economic burden on students and staff.
In your LinkedIn profile, you stated that you have interests in global digital healthcare and health informatics. Do you have any skills in these concepts? How have these interests translated to work or experience for you?
My interest in digital healthcare stems from a burning desire for a revolution in the healthcare sector. I have undertaken courses on product and project management to improve my skills and gain real-time experience. As the Chief of Operations of Hospiyou, a registered tele-medical startup with functional tele-medical mobile applications on iOS and Android, I continually apply these skills and experiences to foster the realisation of our vision as an organisation — “making quality healthcare available, affordable and accessible to all.”
A first-class degree is not a first-class ticket to a lucrative job. Many First Class graduates are roaming the streets looking for jobs. What special skills or training do you have that distinguishes you from the gang of Pharmacy First Class graduates?
While I must say that this situation is an aberration, it is, however the current reality of many first-class graduates. On a personal level, I have since realised the times and country we live in. I have honed my soft skills in public speaking, communication, teamwork, networking, time management, etc., while prioritising training on hard skills such as music, writing, graphic designing, video editing, and project management. I am quite versatile in several aspects of computing and technology, especially as it relates to its applications in healthcare.
With the current hard Nigerian economy, basic drugs and medications are now expensive for the common man, leading to improper treatment of illness and even deaths in some cases. What do you think could be done to make drugs affordable for ordinary Nigerians?
I like to believe that the power to transform the economic situation largely lies in the hands of the government. If we must make drugs affordable, we must be willing to promote local manufacturing. In a study by my colleague, Melody Okereke, there are over 115 registered pharmaceutical manufacturers in Nigeria, but we still depend on other countries for the supply of active pharmaceutical ingredients and excipients.
To enhance the affordability of medicines in Nigeria, the government, regulatory bodies, policymakers, pharmaceutical companies, and other stakeholders must tackle political, socio-economic, financial, and regulatory barriers, such as elevated taxes, high energy expenses, inadequate infrastructure, insecurity issues, insufficient funding, and unfavourable policies.
Fake and counterfeit drugs are almost everywhere now, including pharmacy stores owned by pharmacists. These fake drugs are causing organ damage and death to many people. If you were the NAFDAC boss, how would you ensure fake drugs are eliminated from society?
Our most esteemed and dogged Director General, Professor Mrs Mojisola Adeyeye, declared earlier this year that over 50 percent of certificates of imported pharmaceutical products are fake. This came after the interception of the importation of over 140 fake drugs. Again, we can see the need for local manufacturing. If I were the NAFDAC boss, I would establish stringent measures that ensure the integrity of pre-shipment tests before the importation of pharmaceuticals. I would also actively recommend the need for local manufacturing.
Currently, Nigeria manufactures only about 25 percent of its pharmaceutical needs, with a staggering 70 percent imported from other nations. It would be much easier to regulate the quality of manufactured medicines if they are locally produced.
What is next for you now after graduation? And where do you see yourself in five years?
The mandatory one-year internship. In five years, I hope to be a changemaker, pushing the frontiers of knowledge and excellence in the healthcare milieu.
What is your advice to students aspiring to achieve the kind of academic feat you achieved?
“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Just keep at it. Victory is near.
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