Don delivers UNIBEN’s 149th inaugural lecture

Professor Ambrose Isah has delivered the 149th inaugural lecture of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) last Thursday. The consultant of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics spoke on: The Clinical Pharmacologist: Sentry, ombudsman, arbiter, and custodian of therapeutic care in health care system in the lecture held at the Akin Deko Auditorium.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Friday Orumwense, represented by his deputy on Administration, Prof Lawrence Ezemwonye, congratulated the lecturer, noting that inaugural lectures were avenue through which scholars educate the public about their achievements in research.
Prof Isah said he took interest in clinical pharmacology after he read a journal titled: Adverse Drug Reaction Bulletin at the Prof Latunde Odeku Memorial Library at the University of Ibadan (UI) in 1977.  He said as an arbiter, clinical pharmacologist served as a gatekeeper on the drugs entering market.
The role of the clinical pharmacologist, he said, is important if people must have safe drugs. He said the clinical pharmacologist should act as an ombudsman to regulate movement of drugs in the society.
The lecturer urged government to address cost of drugs and tariff of medicine. He said drug information must be made available to people, while charging government to support the National Agency for Drugs, Administration and Control (NAFDAC) with workable legislation and fund to carry out its function as required by law.
Prof Isah told the audience that his involvement in drug research led to the establishment of the Pharmacovigilance Center at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), which he said was the first of its kind in the Niger Delta region. He was decorated with a medal for the lecture.
Nwaobi Oge, president of the UNIBEN Medical Students Association (UBEMSA) hailed Prof Isah for the lecture, saying: “The lecturer just proved that he is scholar in the field of drug regulation; government should wakeup to its responsibility because the challenge is beyond legislating laws but implementation that matters.”
Prof Isah studied Medicine and Surgery at the University of Ibadan and proceeded to the University of Newcastle for training in clinic pharmacology. He was the Dean and Head of Department of Medicine at the UNIBEN and a fellow of the West African College of Physician and the Royal College of Physician.