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By Henry Uche
Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) is urging President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately assent to the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) Bill, in the ultimate interest of Nigerians.
ACPN also seeks a policy reform on herbal medicine that would incorporate herbal medicines in healthcare delivery as well as the identification of community pharmacists as care providers for substance use, disorders and mental health screening, having recognised the importance of creating a scientific database of herbal products of primary health.
In a communiqué signed and issued by the national chairman and secretary, Adewale Oladigbolu and Ezeh Ambrose Sunday respectively, at the end of its 41st annual National Scientific Conference in Lagos, with the theme: “Never waste a crisis: Community Pharmacists learning for future preparedness,” ACPN called on the National Human Rights Commission to live up to its mandate of ensuring access to genuine drugs as a right of citizens of Nigeria in furtherance of its pact with the pharmaceutical society of Nigeria (PSN) in previous dispensations.
They also reiterated their resolve to fix faulty supply chain system of drugs distribution in Nigeria, noting that it has started a supply chain platform that interconnects all pharmaceutical entities in Nigeria.
They stressed that the quality of every healthcare system is grounded in its primary healthcare system as well as a credible drug distribution system because 62 per cent to 75 per cent of every healthcare cost has drugs at its heart.
According to them, the premises to premises or pharmacy to pharmacy (P2P) platform is a pharmaceutical ecosystem designed to make sure medicines ordering in Nigeria are precisely from, and through PCN-registered facilities only.
“The P2P platform is now operational to strengthen the supply chain system, reduce the prevalence of fake medicines and reduce the scare concerns associated with our industry. Thus, products available at community pharmacies will be those without untoward supply chain excursions.”
The pharmacists pocked the government at all levels to optimise pharmacists’ mental wealth as well as broad spectrum skills of pharmacists in all key health programmes including primary healthcare endeavours, social health insurance and managed healthcare schemes in the bid to ensure access to affordable and qualitative healthcare services.
“No matter the illness, drugs are the last resort of disease. Thus the proper use of drugs, in the right combination, quantity, frequency, with suitable diet, liquids, through the proper route, is very critical to the efficacy of therapy as well as and the duration of convalescence and the economics of therapy.
“When drugs of any sort are used outside the recommended indication, dose or duration, the consumer is taking a conscious risk towards self-poisoning. Thus, no drug of any description should be taken without the intervention of a Pharmacist. People die more from a poorly managed drug therapy than diseases.”
They adopted the launching of the Julius Adelusi Community Pharmacy Expansion Grant to improve the access of 230 million Nigerians to community pharmacists and approved plans to immortalise the late pharm. Jimi Adesanya- a former National Chairman of the Nigeria Association of General Practice Pharmacists (now ACPN) for meritorious services.
“They urged government to utilise the peculiar advantage of the network of community pharmacists in rural and urban centres to drive its agenda of UCH, while the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) should to ensure that the right policies, pragmatic and technical support are put in place.
“The ongoing national effort to revitalize the country’s PHC system will only be complete if the community pharmacy components are fully incorporated. Community pharmacists are well trained and equipped with great skills to champion a healthier nation, the evidence is glaring. Thus, our role in ensuring the delivery of quality healthcare services to the Nigerian populace has become more crucial than ever.”
They decried the unfruitful health service delivery system, which compelled the enactment of the NHIS act to facilitate access to efficacious, affordable and accessible healthcare in becoming unbecoming.
“They decried the operational modalities of the NHIS which has consistently deviated from the set goals, targets and objectives of a well coordinated social health insurance agenda, a major reason for the unacceptable and disappointing coverage rate of less than 5 per cent for over 15 years.
“We applaud the decision of the FG to repeal the NHIS Act on May 19th 2022. As a new law, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), 2022 was enacted mainly to promote, integrate and regulate all health insurance schemes in Nigeria. The goal of reducing out -of- pocket expenditure on health to less than 30 per cent will be easily achieved and, expanding health coverage will favourably cause a decline in maternal mortality rate (MMR) and under five mortality rate (U5MR).
“We urged that a particular attention be paid to the shortcomings of the NHIS which could limit the success of the NHIA act, for instance: The sidetracking of community pharmacists and other secondary providers in the global capitation payment which adversely affected trust. Thus, payment mechanisms must be right and premised on the lawful precept which prescribes fee for service for CPs and other secondary as well as tertiary providers,” they added.
