Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has appealed to the federal government to make adequate funds available to pharmacists in research institutes to encourage the production of drugs for the Nigerian environment.
PSN said research funding should also be extended to other institutions including Drug Research and Production Units, Centre for Drug Discovery and pharmacy schools.
The group said funding the aforementioned was one of the major ways to actualise the concept of
Universal Health Coverage with pharmacists as the pivotal persons.
In a communique issued at the end of the 97th Annual National Conference of PSN with the theme:
‘’Transforming Pharmaceutical Innovation to Facilitate Equitable Healthcare in an Emerging Economy’’ held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State recently, PSN said pharmacists were capable of transforming healthcare in Nigeria through innovative, value-driven care that benefits patients, providers, and the entire sector.
The communique was signed by the newly elected PSN president, Tanko Ibrahim Ayuba and national secretary, Gafar ‘Lanre Madehin.
They applauded the Executive Order of President Bola Tinubu on the Pharmaceutical Sector which according to them, would enhance medicine security if well implemented.
The PSN appealed to the Presidency to ‘’direct the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and the Nigeria Customs Service to ensure the smooth execution of this Order for the benefit of all Nigerians.
The document read in part: “Conference applaud the Executive Order of president Bola Tinubu on the Pharmaceutical Sector as it has a tendency to enhance medicine security if well implemented and enforced; and urged Presidency to give appropriate directive to the Federal Ministry of Finance, Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigeria Custom Service to facilitate seamless implementation of the Executive Order of the President in the ultimate public interest.”
PSN further advocated for collaboration between PCN, NAFDAC and other enforcement agencies to rid the pharmaceutical sector of fake products and reposition the industry to boost national GDP.
‘’We call for an enhanced regulatory framework that places a premium on Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) collaborations with other law enforcement agents to cleanse and rid the pharmaceutical value chain of drug fakers as a prelude to boosting local drug manufacturing which will position the pharmaceutical industry to contribute significantly to National GDP.
PSN appreciated the role of Community Pharmacy Facilities in administering over 76,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses as according to the document, a record of 253 Community Pharmacists administered over 76,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccines in unprecedented outputs in Nigeria’s Health System. It appealed to President Tinubu ‘’to wade into the limiting factor of bad politics of exclusion in Nigerian Health Sector by directing the National Primary Health Development Agency to tap into the potentials of community based practices of the respective health professionals by maximally utilizing the high cross mobility and proximity to consumers of health to engage them in the totality of immunization endeavors, if our country will ever reverse its embarrassing negative health indices.’’
It further emphasized that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) should develop a sustainable pharmacovigilance plan supported by a qualitative database; and called for ‘’product liability cover for all products in circulation in the Nigerian market.
PSN advised the director- general of NAFDAC, Prof Christiana Adeyeye, to ‘’show better commitment to rules of engagement with stakeholders in the profession and industry in the areas of skyrocketing tariffs and an array of contentious policies which have a propensity to inflict more hardship on consumers of health in Nigeria.’’
The pharmacists extended its hands of fellowship to veterinarians and urged them to embrace international best practices which places similar and commensurate safety values on the use as well as administration of human and animal drugs by respecting existing norms which are validated by court orders and judgment to wit registered pharmacies are the only legal entities that can and will stock all categories of drugs in Nigeria as is obtainable in all other parts of the decent world.
It stated that, ‘’the number of unregistered premises from the data available to the Research and Development office of the PSN has soared from an unimaginable below 2 million to 2,557,143 as at the end of September 2024.’’
The pharmacists informed the federal government that ‘’vital disciplinary action had ceased at PCN for over two years which encourages indiscipline to flourish, while also reiterating the impossibility to accredit training facilities at sub-professional, undergraduate and post-graduate cadres in the pharmacy profession,’’ due to the delay.
On the proposed Nigeria Health Facility Regulatory Agency (NHFRA), PSN wondered why the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) contemplated a needless central agency to regulate and control professional services in the health sector when all the structures to achieve these are already in place, especially in Pharmacy practice which had extant laws in place well over 100 years ago for strict regulation.
It therefore called on the FMoH to respect the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and the Federal Government on the subject matter in a bid that the rule of law mantra which the Tinubu administration professes will continue to prevail to ward off needless litigation and industrial disharmony in the Health Sector.
PSN urged President Tinubu to address exclusionary politics in healthcare, advocating for the National Primary Health Development Agency to leverage community practices to improve Nigeria’s health outcomes.
The conference of pharmacists frowned at the siting of private pharmacies in public hospitals, describing it as an unlawful practice. It strongly approved of the position of the National Council of PSN to enforce this provision of law as canvassed by the leadership of Association Hospitals and Administrative Pharmacists (AHAPN).
The lauded the FMoH and especially the National Council on Health for its approval which compels the Drug Revolving Fund (DRF) option as the acceptable procurement methodology for drugs in the public pharmacy window. It reminded the Federal Ministry of Health about ‘’all the shady deals on Drug Revolving Fund by some CEOs of Federal Health Institutions which led to petitions by PSN and JOHESU in the past, even as it expressed confidence that justice will be done following the intervention of the Federal Ministry of Health, the anti-graft agencies and the National Assembly into the various complications of running DFR. ‘’It appears justice is gradually being served in some of the critical Federal Health Institutions (FHIs) where sanctions have been invoked.’’
The documents stated that ‘’Conference was naturally alarmed that despite these established infractions the department of Food and Drugs unlawfully vested leadership of DRF committees at the Federal Health Institutions (FHIs) and Local Government Areas on persons who are not Registered Pharmacists in obvious violation of the spirit and letters of the PCN Act 2022, while also ignoring the specific approbation of the licensure of Registered Pharmacist which confers on them professional rights under the law to procure drugs albeit in supervisory capacity in the Nigeria Health Space.
‘’Pharmacist under the aegis of the PSN therefore called on the Federal Ministry of Health to dutifully withdraw the current unlawful DRF SOP of the department of Food and Drugs, FMoH, while lawfully reviewing same within three months as agreed in a recent Federal Government – Health Stakeholders mediation.
It also strongly urged that ‘’in the interim the FMoH must mandate the office of the Director, Food and Drugs to commence the undertaking of oversight responsibilities in the FHIs to ensure proper implementation of the DRF.’’
The Pharmacists congratulated the former PSN President, Prof. Cyril Usifo – led NEC and Council for landmark achievements in the last three years.
