Nigeria: Pharmacy Bill will stop the distribution of illegal drugs, according to PSN

The Pharmacy Bill would stop the unsuitable drug distribution routes that have made Nigeria notorious for the bogus medicine syndrome, according to the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria. Cyril Usifo, the society's president, said this at the PSN's 95th annual conference, which just ended in Jos, Plateau State. Usifo also praised the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret. ), for signing the Pharmacy Bill, which he characterized as a historic. He said, “We convey our gratitude to the FG and most especially President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR for his landmark assent to the Pharmacy Bill. I find it imperative to call on the Presidency and other appropriate arms of government that the Pharmacy Bill has the propensities to restore normalcy to our indecorous drug distribution channels which have made Nigeria famous for the fake drug syndrome."
He continued by saying "This oddity is surmountable through proactive action of adequate funding of the PCN and other agencies that regulate the drug distribution channels, especially NAFDAC and NDLEA. We must maintain audit trails of drug distribution from manufacturers and importers to distributors, retailers, PMV dealers, and hospitals in the public and private sectors. Once we begin to monitor and control the value chain in drug distribution endeavours, then our journey to fulfilment commences.”
Usifo, however, urged presidential candidates from all political parties to start considering how to expedite fresh but significant investments in healthcare, noting that the pharmaceutical industry presents the best opportunities in this area.
In a determined effort to achieve medicine sufficiency and security, he also urged the Federal Government to support a viable petrochemical industry that ensures an industrial revolution outside of the pharmaceutical sector. He added that Nigerian pharmacists must become primary producers of APIs, excipients, equivalents, packaging materials, and all other finished products.

Usifo stated that the PSN is driving steps to build the National Post-graduate College of Pharmacists in response to recent statements made by various concerned stakeholders calling for the creation of a comprehensive Academic Pharmacy resource template in Nigeria. He said, “Our goal is to restructure the totality of the relationship management architecture between the post-graduate college and universities through appropriate regulatory platforms in the education sector for new benefits packages to accrue to all concerned in the training process of Pharmacists of both undergraduate and Postgraduate levels.”

References
Punchng, 'Pharmacy Bill will curb inappropriate drug distribution – PSN' (online, 2022) <https://punchng.com/pharmacy-bill-will-curb-inappropriate-drug-distribution-psn/>.