Pharmacists under the aegis of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) have commended the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria (PCN) for enforcing the relocation of all value chain operators in the drug distribution channels from the Sabon Gari Drug Market in Kano to the Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) in the city.
According to PSN president, Professor Cyril Odianose Usifoh, the bold step by NAFDAC and PSN as the principal regulatory agencies, is the only way to redress the monumental problems in the drug distribution channels in the country.
‘’The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) commended the proactive disposition of the PCN and NAFDAC which are the principal regulatory agencies in the value chain of drug distribution in Nigeria for sealing the Sabon Gari Drug Market in Kano, to enforce the relocation of all operators in this location to the Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) which has been commissioned for operation in Kano since 2023,’’ Usifoh said.
‘’It is imperative that the 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,’’ he added.
He said that PSN has been in the forefront of agitations for the approved National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDG) in 2015 in collaboration with key stakeholders in the pharma industry, adding that the ‘’NDDG which incorporates the concept of CWCs for genuine pharma players currently in Open Drug Markets (ODM) has come to stay.’’
Usifoh, who declared that ‘’PSN shall continue to emphasize the benefits inherent in PCN and NAFDAC collaborations, called on other state governments, including Lagos, Anambra, Abia, Enugu, Oyo and Borno to give speedy building plan approvals as well as other requisite logistics support which will pave way for the full construction of CWCs in the states.’’
He explained that the provision of the necessary facilities would serve as catalyst for 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.
Usifoh further insisted on full implementation of the NDDG for the benefit of players in the pharma industry within the existing status.
‘’Once again, the PSN puts it on record that 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,’’ he said.
According to him, the development calls for an expedited action on the Fake Drug Act by the National Assembly. ‘’PSN encourages the National Assembly to formally complete the amendment bill of the Fake Drug Act currently before it,’’ he added.
Continuing, he said: ‘’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 both of which provide for representation of key personnel of each of the agencies on the board of the partnering agency.’’
Speaking further on the Sabon Gari, Kano Drug Market relocation, Usifoh said, ‘’The historic joint team action of Saturday, February 17, 2024 remains a watershed 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.
‘’We solicit amongst other reforms, an increase in the penalties provided for first offenders who violate the Fake Drug Act, while subsequent trespasses must attract jail sentences without an option for fine.”
He called for a special security force to assist the State Task Forces during routine enforcement assignments.
‘’The National Assembly must also look at the possibilities of factoring in appropriate security squads to aid the responsibilities of the State Task Forces as the recent Kano operation of Saturday February 17, 2023, 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.’’
Usifoh congratulated NAFDAC and PCN on the achievement and urged them to also tackle the menace of illegal drug stores in hospital facilities.
