Adeola T. Kola-Mustapha, a Professor at the Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, University of Ilorin, has called for the careful use of prescription drugs to avoid the adverse effects of such medicinal substances on one’s health.
Prof. Kola-Mustapha gave this advice last Thursday (July 10, 2025) while delivering the 285th Inaugural Lecture of the University, entitled “Rooted in Nature, Refined By Science: A New Horizon in Advanced Drug Delivery”, at the University Auditorium.
The doctor explained that no medicine is perfect, saying that every drug is a potential poison and should, therefore, be used with caution.
While stating that herbal products must be administered with moderation, Prof. Kola-Mustapha explained that synthetic drugs are inherently imperfect and may often require special formulation processes to optimise delivery.
The Inaugural Lecturer underscored the need for standardised dosing, safety evaluation and integration strategies in healthcare delivery.
She, therefore, urged scientists to bring to the fore prevalent issues in medicinal development and use on patients, as she noted that scientists should continuously strive to identify active plant components, determine their safety and standardise doses, and further improve drug formulations for industrial efficiency and patient benefit.
Prof. Kola-Mustapha added that all drugs should be clean and prepared in an acceptable form that meets standards for quality and safety.
The document also called for the integration of natural and modern pharmaceutical practices. She, however, clarified that the call is not to place natural and synthetic medicines side by side in a pharmacy, but that they should be co-developed until one is indistinguishable from the other.
She counselled that indigenous pharmaceutical formulation practices should strive to achieve equal standards of quality, appeal, and efficacy for both natural and synthetic medicines, and continually attempt to co-formulate both for the better health of Nigerian patients.
The renowned scholar noted a critical gap in the Nigerian healthcare system, adding that there is more to pharmaceutics than mortar and pestle.
She envisioned a future where natural products are formulated into finished pharmaceuticals, utilising herbal constituents in synthetic dosage forms such as tablets and capsules.
