Speaking at the PSN’s 95th annual conference in Jos, Plateau State, Professor Cyril Usifoh, PSN President reiterated the need to promote the production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), excipients and equivalents, as well as packaging materials in the country. 

Usifoh further argued that this is the best course of action for the country to become self-sufficient in pharmaceutical manufacture, apart from enhancing the GDP of the nation through local manufacturing of drugs. 

In his words: “We shall encourage new collaborations between NIPRD, Drug Research and Production Units (DRPUs), Centres for Drug Discovery (CDD) as well as related structures in the Universities and the generality of the local Pharma Industry to ensure that research endeavours begin to receive fresh momentum to become new drug products in our clime.’’ 

The PSN boss also tasked the presidential hopefuls for the forthcoming general elections to begin thinking about how to move forward with fresh but significant investments in healthcare, noting the pharma sector offers the biggest prospects in this regard. 

Usifoh praised President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the Pharmacy Bill, calling it a landmark, and claimed it would stop the inappropriate drug distribution channels that had made Nigeria notorious for the fake medicine syndrome. 

He said, “I want to convey our gratitude to the Federal government and most especially President Mohammadu Buhari 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 said that new Pharmacy Act will redress the intractable fake drug syndrome in the country. “The Act has the propensities to restore normalcy to our indecorous drug distribution channels which have made Nigeria famous for the fake drug syndrome,’’ he said. 

He outlined some of the salient PSN inputs into the Acts of parliament including, introduction of Satellite pharmacy concept to redress several years of the clamour of the hospital, administrative, industrial and academic pharmacists. 

He explained that AHAPN, industrial and academic pharmacists wanted an extension of the window of practice at a community level in a larger bid to promote access to pharma care coordinated directly by pharmacists. 

Another notable input of PSN in the new Bill, he said is the broader representation in the composition of the Governing Council of the PCN to promote all stakeholders’ buy-in and collaboration in regulatory activities between PCN and NAFDAC. 

Others are, “Clear and unambiguous functions and powers of the PCN to inspect, approve, license and regulate all pharmaceutical premises (PPMV dealers, satellite pharmacies etc.) in addition to Pharmaceutical Technicians, PPMV dealers, Pharma marketers who are non-pharmacists etc.” 

The rest are, “Designation of the Registrar as Chief Executive and Chief Accounting Officer of PCN; Defining within the realm of law the ownership of retail premises in Nigeria and Spelling out the full latitudes of the powers of pharma inspectors in Nigeria” 

Usifoh called for adequate funding of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) and other agencies that regulate the drug distribution channels, especially NAFDAC and NDLEA. 

He reiterated the need to sustain audit trails of drug distribution from manufacturers and importers to distributors, retailers, patent medicine vendors and hospitals in the public and private sectors. 

“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,” he added. 

Academic Pharmacy 

When discussing the future plans of his association, Usifoh stated that there have been recent declarations by some concerned stakeholders to develop a holistic Academic Pharmacy resource template in Nigeria. 

He said in response to the demand, his association is leading initiatives to establish the National Post-graduate College of Pharmacists 

According to him, the goal of the association is to restructure the relationship management architecture between the post-graduate college and universities through appropriate regulatory platforms in the education sector. 

Usifoh elaborated that this will lead to new benefits packages which will accrue to all concerned in the training process of pharmacists of both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. 

He said, “Recent declarations by some concerned stakeholders in health compel us to develop a holistic Academic Pharmacy resource template in Nigeria. In this regard, the PSN is leading initiatives to establish the National Post-graduate College of Pharmacists. 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.” 

Community Pharmacy 

He said, “We have been working with the ACPN and gratefully some of our age-long barriers are being broken. Today, Nigeria is one of the 45 countries of the world where COVID-19 vaccination is conducted in Community Pharmacies. 

“The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHDA) has been very supportive of our yearnings and we convey our kudos to this great agency. We shall continue to support all efforts to train and retrain CPs in vaccination-inclined endeavours so that CPs can legitimately run routine immunisation procedures in Nigeria. 

The ultimate is to entrench CPs as PHC facilities in tandem with the NH-2014 Act and I assure you we shall get there. 

Hospital And Administrative Pharmacy 

Usifoh noted, “We must continue to appreciate recent gains that have manifested in the approval of the PharmD degree, Consultant cadre in Hospital Pharmacy practice as well as the recent payment of arrears of hazard allowances to Hospital Pharmacists in FHIs. 

“I must continue to thank our strategic alliance partners in JOHESU/ AHAPN who gave much support in the quest to realize these listed objectives. Our current efforts are focused on the issuance of a new scheme of service for Pharmacists which recognises all recent approvals by the office of the Head of Service of the Federation, FMOH and Salaries and Wage Commission. 

The adjustment of CONHESS is taking a new shape which we are monitoring through ongoing negotiations by JOHESU/AHAPN (Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacy in Nigeria). 

“The PSN is currently working with NASS to strengthen the DRF concept and we shall update members as necessary on this development,” he added. 

Industrial Pharmacy 

The PSN President clamoured for new investments in our industry as this will make it possible to enhance the GDP of the nation through local manufacturing of drugs. 

His words, “We shall encourage new collaborations between NIPRD, Drug Research and Production Units (DRPUs), Centres for Drug Discovery (CDD) as well as related structures in the Universities and the generality of the local Pharma Industry to ensure that research endeavours begin to receive fresh momentum to become new drug products in our clime.” 

The theme of the conference was “Medicine Security in an Unstable Economy” and the keynote address speaker, Dr Obi Peter Adigwe, NIPRD DG and a seasoned speaker gifted with oratory prowess did justice to the important topic. 

Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), special guest of honour and the NDLEA Chairman, spoke on the Sub-theme ‘Stemming the Misuse and Abuse of Essential Medicines in a Depressed Economy.” The topics are relevant and timely as there are bodies of evidence on the correlation between national security and substance misuse and abuse. 

by Chioma Umeha,  Independent Newspaper.