By Doris Obinna
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has commended the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for implementing National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDG).
It said sealing off the Sabongeri Drug Market in Kano has enforced the relocation of all operators in that location.
PSN in statement signed by its President, Prof. Cyril Usifoh, said, the proactive disposition of both PCN and NAFDAC, which are the principal regulatory agencies in the value chain of drug distribution in Nigeria, enforced the relocation of all operators to the Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC), which has been commissioned for operation in Kano since 2023.
“PSN, which was in the forefront of agitations for the approved National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDG) in 2015 in collaboration with key stakeholders in the pharma industry declare that the NDDG which incorporates the concept of CWCs for genuine pharma players currently in Open Drug Markets (ODM) has come to stay going by the Kano experience.
“We at the PSN shall continue to emphasize the benefits inherent in PCN and NAFDAC collaborations which are the only way to redress the monumental problems in the drug distribution channels in our country.
“PSN also finds it necessary to call on the State Governments in Lagos, Anambra, Abia, Enugu, Oyo and Borno to give speedy building plan approvals as well as other requisite logistics support.
“This will pave way for the full construction of CWCs in those States as a condition precedent to catalyse and facilitate the smooth relocation of those who presently operate in Idumota, Lagos; Headbridge, Onitsha, Anambra; Ariaria, Aba, Abia; Ogbete, Enugu; Agbeni, Ibadan, Oyo and Gamboru, Maiduguri in Borno.
“Once again the PSN puts it on record that the full implementation of the NDDG will allow full integration of committed players to run their business within the purview of existing statutes that drives the enforcement activities of the PCN and NAFDAC in Nigeria.”
According to Usifoh, this discourse also makes it mandatory for PSN to encourage the National Assembly to formally complete the amendment bill of the Fake Drug Act currently before it.
“For us at PSN, we must formalize the PCN and NAFDAC relationship through more legislative actions beyond the existing windows in the NAFDAC Act and PCN Act 2022 which both provide for representation of key personnel of each of the agencies on the board of the partnering agency.
“The historic joint team action of Saturday, February 17, 2024 remains a water shed which we must make sustainable through the instrumentality of the federal and state task forces on fake, counterfeit drug and unwholesome foods in a well packaged and robust act of parliament.”
While soliciting for reforms in the increases of penalties provided for first offenders who violates the Fake Drug Act, Usifoh reiterated that among other reforms, subsequent trespasses must attract jail sentences without an option for fine.
“The National Assembly must also look as the possibilities of factoring in appropriate security squads to aid the responsibilities of the state taskforces as the recent Kano operation confirms the need for maintenance squads of law enforcement agents to sustain and ensure fruitful outcomes when the taskforce, PCN or NAFDAC embarks on their routine regulatory functions.
“It is also imperative to call on the PCN and NAFDAC for shifting attention to unregistered pharmaceutical premises to complete the cycle by tackling the plethora of illegal and unlawful drug stores in hospital facilities especially at private sector level.
“Stakeholders in pharmacy practice have always lamented that while PCN and NAFDAC maintains frequent surveillance, monitoring and control of registered pharmaceutical premises, it obviously closes its eyes on unregistered pharma premises including those located in the plethora of private hospital facilities.
“These hospital facilities often times carry drug stock far in excess of regular pharmacy facilities irrespective of whether these drugs are registered or not by NAFDAC,” the statement disclosed.