Evaristus Nwaiwu
The Federal Ministry of Health has extended the deadline for closing open drug markets to December 31, 2020 to allow stakeholders complete the construction of Coordinated Wholesale Centers (CWC) an alternative to open drugs market.
Upon the expiration of the new deadline, wholesale dealers on pharmaceutical products at various open drugs market across the country will move to designated locations tagged Co-ordinated Wholesale Centres (CWC) currently under construction.
Inauguration of the regulated CWCs as alternative to the chaotic open drug markets will mark the implementation of the National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDG).
The completion of the project will enable Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) which regulates the industry, and the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) commence the enforcement of ban on open sale of drugs.
When contacted, PCN Registrar, Mr. Elijah Mohammed, could not confirm the new deadline, but said that only the Minister of Health would confirm the authentic deadline.
Meanwhile pharmaceutical stakeholders told Daily Sun that the new deadline was agreed at the last meeting after it was realised that December 31, 2019 deadline was not feasible.
According to the Chairman, Lagos Medicine Dealers Association (LSMDA, Island Zone), Felix Ugbojiaku, PCN and other stakeholders realised that “the projects are highly capital intensive and therefore needed more time to be completed.
He said “In Lagos work is being intensified by City Pharmaceuticals and Allied Partners Limited which is handling the project. All things being equal, the project will be completed on or before the new deadline,” Ugbojiaku stated.
However, NAFDAC Director of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Mr. Kingsley Ejiofor, confirmed the extension of the deadline in recent media chat where he said the PCN was working with NAFDAC to ensure that structures that meet international standards are built by the private sector medicine dealers in designated locations in Lagos State, Onitsha in Anambra State, Aba in Abia State, and Sabon-Gari in Kano State.
According to Ejiofor, the CWC project is one of the policy measures to stamp out fake and substandard drugs while ensuring quality and safety of drugs in circulation as the products will be monitored from manufacturers to retail consumers.
In view of the capital intensive nature of the project, implementation of the NDDG policy has been extended twice to allow dealers in various states ample time to construct structures that meet global standards.
Rather than hastily pushing operators out of business, the federal government approved the construction of CWCs to relocate dealers in Lagos State, and other locations across the country.
Through these regulated centres, pharmaceutical companies will distribute their products and ensure that drugs are monitored down to retail consumers.