How Association of Lady Pharmacists (APLs) Started

In 1986 three women Pharmacists namely; IPharm (Mrs.) Amoni Ellis Pepple FPSN, a retired Director of Pharmaceutical Services (DPS), Pharm (Deaconess) Wariso FPSN and Pharm Ngozi Dolly Onugha FPSN attended the usual annual World Health Organization Day rally at the Isaac Boro Park, Port Harcourt After speeches and displays, then the touring of exhibition stands, to the women's dismay, they saw female doctors displaying and talking about medicines and other pharmaceuticals. They realized that other professionals in the medical team were hijacking the profession of pharmacy. On getting back to the o?ce, they decided to rally round all female Pharmacists and sensitized them on the issue at stake. A meeting was later scheduled and they all agreed to form an association, which they called ASSOCIATION OF LADY PHARMACISTS. They had the mental picture of what the mountain ALPs was like. A logo was formed for the organization. Another credible and ethically minded lady pharmacist Pharm (Mrs.) Amy E Green suggested the motto : TOWARDS PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE, this was how a nucleus of ALPs started with female Pharmacists in park Port Harcourt, Rivers state. Meetings were held and lady Pharmacists were appointed to various executive posts and the first chair was Pharm (Mrs.) Amoni Ellis Pepple FPSN This idea was later sold to female in other states of the federation so ALPs was born as an interest group of the main body Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN). At this time, the wife of the former president, her Excellency late Dr (Mrs.) Maryam Babangida had started her program BETTER LIFE FOR RURAL WOMEN. All women organizations/bodies were expected to key into her programs. In this regards ALPs was not left out. ALPs was invited to other federal and states functions concerning women within Nigeria. Having received such encouragement, ALPs was then inaugurated in 1987, ALPs was inaugurated at hotel presidential in Port Harcourt, the first national chairman was Pharm (Mrs.) Amy E Green and first national secretary was Pharm Ngozi Dolly Onugha FPSN The country was zoned into four, after two years the secretariat moved to the next zone. The incumbent zone produces the national chairperson while the vice chair were produced from other zones. National executive meetings were held quarterly to fine tune issues around constitutions and logistics Issues that were vital to female members of the society were also handled and addressed by ALPs. In terms of finance, all lady pharmacists contributed financially.