By Ifeoma Ikem
Federal government has been urged to quickly appoint a presidential committee on drug distribution in Nigerian as well as workable structure for sustainable healthcare system
The clarion call was made by the chairman pharmaceutical society of Nigeria (PSN) Lagos State branch Pharm Mrs Adeniran Bolanle during the opening ceremony of 2019 Scientific week held at the pharmacy villa Ogudu GRA Lagos State.
According to the chairman for many years now the state of drug distribution has continued to be grounded in vacillations and infact has been the whims and caprices of the vicissitudes of life which have almost snuffed of it.
“the reality today is that we have made little or no progress in the quest to sanitise our distribution channels. If we decide to call a spade a spade,then the federal government actually needs to declare a state of emergency in the drug distribution bracket of our health sector to redress the unending cycle of productivity “.she said.
She observed, that the pharmacy profession is famous as probably the most regulated endeavor land with legislation that are as old as over 132years (pharmacy ordinance 1887)which has amounted to zero impact.
She further reminded the audience that during the Obasanjo regime a presidential committee was set up with requisite stakeholders to redress the ills of drug distribution with some seriousness. This committee was active till the Jonathan era and later gave birth to the National Drug Distribution Guideline (NDDG) with a major recommendations to open a new vista in drug wholesaling while emphasising on urgent need to seal all existing Open Drug Markets(ODM) in with existing acts of parliament.
She concluded that pharmaceutical practioners should be wary of a delusional messianic complex which has ravaged the profession for some years now.
“our nation needs your daily meditation so that things will fall in place for us to become a nation of a people with one agenda on destiny “,she added.
Mr kayode kolade who spoke on behalf of Amatem pharmaceutical applaude the federal government for endorsing the company which currently one of the fastest growing in the industry. “I feel elated today on what we are doing is worthy of note”. The company is among the exhibitors that display their product at the event.
The keynote speaker Pharm Inusa Bello ,executive director NTEL said the time has come for pharmacists to embrace the social media in doing their business.
He noted that over 94million people are on the internet today hence the pharmacists should capitalise on it to sell their product.