Drug marts ’ll
check fake products
By WALTER UKAEGBU
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
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•Onyejemuo
PHOTO: The Sun Publishing |
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As the Federal Government intensifies its war against fake
drugs through the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration
and Control (NAFDAC), National President, Nigerian Association
of General Practice Pharmacist Employers (NAGPPE), Chief Gabo
U. Onyejemuo, has called for the establishment of drug marts
in the six geo-political zones of the country.
Onyejemuo, who spoke to Daily Sun in Lagos, frowned at the
situation where Nigerians go to Ghana and overseas for medical
treatment and wondered why Nigeria can’t take effective
care of its citizens’ health, despite the fact that
the country is making a fortune from oil.
While commending President Umaru Yar’Adua for ensuring
that rule of law prevails, he complained of the shortage of
supply of raw materials used in the manufacture of drugs.
He named some of them as corn starch, pharmaceutical bread,
which formerly sold at for N45-N60 per kilo but now sells
for N160-N170.
Others are lactose ingredient used in production, which now
sells as high as N120-N750.
Unlike last year Chief Onyejemuo threatened to go to court
to protest the handing over of the job of the Director of
Pharmaceutical Services (DPS) to the Association of Community
Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), but he that at present raid
of markets are now done accordingly and not because a pharmacist
is a retailer.
He said, however, that the association will not hesitate to
go to court to stop ACPN if PSN go ahead to hand over the
job of DPS to it.
Commenting about fake drugs, the NAGPPE President disclosed
that the level has fallen drastically to about 10 per cent
level, adding that even at Onitsha drug business is no more
an all-comer affair, as NAFDAC is actually in control.
He called for the establishment of drug marts where pharmacists
and manufacturers would sell and purchase drugs.
While making case for the compilation of the list of all pharmacists,
Onyejemuo asked non-pharmacists, who engage in drug business,
to hire professionals.
According to him, the establishment of drug mart would create
job opportunities and help in the control of fake drugs.
On the problems facing the association, he said the issue
of pricing has continued to bring problems as pharmacists
accuse them of lowering their prices.
He advised the Minister of Health to take a tour of hospitals
with a view to knowing their level of competence, while asking
him to also call a meeting of stakeholders to discuss the
way forward.
His words: “It is unfortunate that gadgets in our hospitals
are obsolete as some of them are supposed to have a life span
of five years, 10 years depending on the type of equipment.”
He advised the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and
the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) to go into research,
with a view to developing drugs, especially from Nigerian
herbs to assist in tackling diseases.
The pharmacists employers president berated Nigerians for
going to Ghana and other oversea countries for medical treatment
when the country can afford whatever it takes to have good
hospitals in the country. He blamed the development on corruption
in the system.
Onyejemuo praised the efforts of Prof. Dora Akunyili, for
doing so much for Nigerians in the fight against fake drugs
in Nigeria, explaining that she should be appreciated by all
and sundry, irrespective of their professional leaning. |
