Registration Of Hospital Pharmacy

Hospitals and other institutions and facilities, such as outpatient clinics, drug-dependency treatment facilities, poison control centres, drug information centres, and long-term care facilities, may be operated by the government or privately. While many of the pharmacist’s activities in such facilities may be similar to those performed by community pharmacists, they differ in a number of ways.

Difference Between Hospital And Community Pharmacy

They are pharmacies usually found within the premises of a hospital. Hospital pharmacies usually stock a larger range of medications, including more specialized and investigational medications (medicines that are being studied, but have not yet been approved), than would be feasible in the community setting. Hospital pharmacies typically provide medications for the hospitalized patients only, and are not retail establishments and therefore typically do not provide prescription service to the public. Some hospitals do have retail pharmacies within them (see illustration), which provide over-the-counter as well as prescription medications to the public, but these are not the actual hospital pharmacy.

Read Also: How to register a pharmacy with CAC

It is so unfortunate that many hospitals in Nigeria operate without a pharmacist. Some feign ignorance. Others know but prefer to employ cheap labour like pharmacy technicians. Pharmacies in hospitals or establishments similar to hospitals must get their pharmacy floor registered with the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN). The registration procedure is simple and straightforward.

Hospital Pharmacies

Procedures For Registration Of Hospital Pharmacies

To register at a hospital pharmacy is very straightforward. The hospital is registered with the corporate affairs commission (CAC) and the body responsible for regulation of hospitals. The pharmacie floor must be registered with the PCN. It requires the licence of a pharmacist who will be in charge of the hospital pharmacy. Other parts of the hospital may also be registered with other respective bodies according to their requirements e.g medical laboratory.

1. Submission of application letter to register the Pharmacy on a letter headed paper of the company

2. Submission of application form

3. Photocopy of annual licence to practice/Application for retention of name of the Pharmacist in charge. Current or last annual license (photocopy) of the superintendent pharmacist is acceptable.

4. Prescribed inspection and registration fee in bank draft payable to PCN. Evidence of payment of registration and inspection fee. Though it's rare, pharmacists sometimes fail to attach evidence of payment for inspection fee. You must attach the evidence of payment (duplicate of the PCN receipt for inspection) for your premises to be inspected. If you have lost the duplicate, attach a photocopy.

Read Also: Registration of community pharmacy with PCN

5. Photocopy of resignation/acceptance letter from previous employment (if applicable) of the superintendent Pharmacist or NYSC discharge certificate for newly qualified pharmacists. Some applicants that graduated many years back and have worked still submits an NYSC discharge certificate instead of resignation and acceptance of resignation from their former employer. Also pharmacists that have completed NYSC for over many years but claimed not to have never worked anywhere go ahead to submit a NYSC discharge certificate. An NYSC discharge certificate is not an alternative to resignation and acceptance of the same from your former employer. They should be submitted as applicable. NYSC discharge certificate is applicable to those that have just finished NYSC service, it should not be more than 1 year old at the time of application for registration of premises. However, for those that claim not to have worked for some reasons, they are allowed to in addition to the NYSC certificate, make a letter to the  Registrar telling their story why they had never worked.

6. Letter of appointment of Superintendent Pharmacist in the new premises (where applicable)

7. Legal agreement between the Pharmacist in charge and the employer (where applicable)

8. Company's Certificate of Incorporation (Evidence of registration of business name is acceptable) 

9. Article and memorandum of association (where applicable)

10. Particulars of Directors as issued by C.A.C. (Where applicable)

11. Photocopy of NYSC discharge certificate

12. Letter of undertaking by Pharmacists Staff to the effect that they only have one Pharmaceutical job.

13. Letter of undertaking by the Managing Director of the company to the effect that all pharmaceutical businesses will be left under the direct, personal control and management of the superintendent pharmacist.

Read Also: Registration of Pharmacy on Google maps

14. Pharmacist interstate movement form /letter(photocopy) for pharmacist moving from one state to the other. Any pharmacist moving from one state to another to seek registration in the new State of residence must submit interstate movement letter/form in addition to resignation and acceptance of resignation letters from their former state of residence.

15. List of staff in the hospital Pharmacy showing qualification and duties.

16. Design layout of pharmacy

17. Standard operating procedure

18. List of equipment in production and quality control units.

19. List of products being produced by the pharmacy

20. Organogram

The many laws governing community pharmacy are not actually applicable to hospital pharmacy. There is no talk about the size of the shop or the design. However, the inspector team usually looks at the drugs to stock and compare with the equipment on ground and size. A hospital pharmacy that does not intend to stock vaccines may not be bothered about refrigerators.

The provisions for basic amenities like restrooms contribute to successful approval of the premises. There is no talk on room for rest during night duties. Maybe because it is believed that sleep is not allowed during working hours even at night.