The Lagos State Health Service Commission (HSC) has urged pharmacists undergoing internship training in the state to broaden their professional horizons, embrace emerging opportunities and continuously develop their skills to remain relevant in a changing healthcare environment.
Commissioner III of the HSC, Dr. (Pharm.) Moyosore Wuraola Adejumo, gave the advice at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Pharmacists Interns Week, organised by pharmacists undergoing the one-year internship programme across the state’s nine general hospitals.
Speaking at the event, Adejumo encouraged the young pharmacists to move beyond their comfort zones, remain proactive and take advantage of opportunities that could advance their careers and personal development.
She noted that the scope of professional opportunities was expanding rapidly, particularly with technological advancements, urging pharmacists to adapt to the changing environment rather than remain limited to traditional career paths.
The two-day event, held at the Dr. Olumuyiwa Solanke Conference Room, Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, was themed “The Future in Focus: Empowering the Next Generation of Pharmacists Through Research, Leadership and Collaboration for Better Healthcare Outcomes.”
The programme featured a career talk, panel discussions, award presentations, an inter-hospital quiz and debate competition, as well as the launch of RxVerse, a magazine created to document the experiences, stories and lessons of the interns throughout their one-year training.
Earlier, the Director of Pharmacy, HSC, Pharmacist Modupe Bakare, described the internship programme as an important platform for young pharmacists to acquire practical knowledge, share experiences and prepare for productive professional careers.
Bakare also advised the interns to keep pace with technological developments and equip themselves with relevant skills to avoid being left behind in the rapidly changing healthcare sector.
The event attracted stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector, including Pharmacist Clara Ezeudoh of One Health Organisation, who delivered the career talk.
The RxVerse magazine was formally launched by Adejumo, alongside the Permanent Secretary of the HSC, Dr. Olufemi Omololu, the Head of the Pharmacy Department, hospital heads of department and other invited dignitaries.
In his remarks, Omololu urged the interns to use the early stage of their professional careers to acquire knowledge, plan their future and make deliberate choices about their career paths.
He described the interns as being at a stage where they were beginning to make independent decisions about their future after years of guidance from parents, relatives and teachers.
The Permanent Secretary further encouraged them to learn continuously while in service, develop a positive attitude towards their work and find fulfilment in their chosen profession.
The event concluded with the inter-hospital quiz and debate competitions. Representatives of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) emerged winners of the debate after arguing in support of the motion, “This House Believes That AI Will Enhance Pharmacy Practice More Than It Will Threaten It.”
The Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, won the quiz competition, while awards and certificates were presented to the winners and runners-up by the HSC Director of Pharmacy, Pharmacist Modupe Bakare.
