COMMUNIQUE 2nd National Council Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria

Posted on: Wed 24-08-2016

Communique of the 2nd National Council Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria Held at tahir Guest Palace, Kano on Thursday, August 18, 2016.

The meeting was held with the President, Pharm. Ahmed I. Yakasai,FPSN overseeing affairs. In attendance were members of the NEC, representatives of over 32 States and the FCT, Abuja, State Directors of Pharmaceutical Services, Deans of Faculties of Pharmacy in various schools, Registrar/Secretary of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) and the Director General/CEO National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD). The council meeting was declared open by His Excellency, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the Executive Governor of Kano State who led a delegation of the State Executive Committee including the State Commissioner of Health to the opening ceremony of the council meeting.

After a painstaking and critical appraisal of the various topical issues affecting pharmacy practice, health matters and other sundry issues, members of the council resolved as follows:

1. Council after a careful evaluation of the impact of the current paucity of forex in the country which is gradually grinding operations in drug manufacturing and importation outlets to a halt in the days ahead, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari,GCFR to urgently intervene to prevent an impending national calamity which will lead to morbidity and outright mortality of consumers of health in Nigeria.

Council reasoned that empty warehouses of a plethora of the pharmaceutical companies due to inaccessibility to forex to directly source finished products, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and other excipients will naturally breed out of stock syndrome in the inventory of life saving drugs with obvious consequences in the days and weeks ahead, as most companies will exhaust the leftover stocks from last year .

Council further posited that it was impossible to transact pharmaceutical inclined business at the rate of $1 to N400 as the drug products from such transactions will be completely unaffordable thus defeating the goal of our National Drug Policy which. advocates the availability of safe, efficacious and affordable drugs in the health system at all times. Flowing from the above, council called on the Federal Government to facilitate better access to forex to pharmaceutical companies as a matter of priority in view of the SECURITY dimensions of the out of stock syndrome which has a propensity to boost the Fake Drug Syndrome as charlatans will certainly exploit the vacuum created by a lack of basic drugs.

2. Council called on the Federal Ministry of Health to continue E to work with pharma stakeholders who resolved jointly in 2015 to actualize State Drug Distribution Centres (SDDCs), Mega Drug Distribution Centres (MDDCs), Registered Wholesalers and newly introduced Coordinated Wholesale Centres (CWCs) as the main legs of drug wholesaling in Nigeria.

Council commended the operators in drug markets in Idumota, Lagos, Ariaria in Aba, Abia State, Sabongeri in Kano and recently in Onitsha, Anambra State who are already actualizing and perfecting the CWC structures in those States.

Council insisted that at the expiration of the deadline for movements out of the open market in August 2017, there must be no going back, as all open markets must be closed in tune with existing laws.

Council counseled in its bid to stem the tide of fake drug sales and circulation, the new drug distribution channel approved by pharma stakeholders Federal Ministry of Health, PCN and NAFDAC must be upheld and made to work maximally in public interest.

3. Council reminded the Federal Government on the urgent need to reconstitute the PCN by appointing its Chairman and other statutory members albeit lawfully to enable the PCN carry out its full statutory mandate including accreditation of training facilities for pharmacists and support personnel in pharmacies, disciplinary procedures which compels the Chairman of PCN to be Chairman of Disciplinary Tribunal as well as regularizing all necessary protocols in the inspectorate activities of the PCN.

In similar spirit council called on the Presidency to appoint registered pharmacists as Heads/CEOs of requisite regulatory agencies involved in drug distribution for its change mantra to add benefit packages to the citizenry in Nigeria.

4. Council invited healthcare providers and workers, consumers of health and other stakeholders to its 89th Annual National Conference which will hold from Monday November 7 to Friday November 11, 2016 in Minna, Niger State.

Council further informed that the opening ceremony of the Annual National Conference will feature Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as Special Guest of Honour, while the various plenary sessions which follows the opening ceremony will revolve around the theme of the conference "Pharmaceutical Industry Contributions to National Development".

5. Council conveyed its depth of appreciation to the Executive Governor and good people-of Kano State for hosting the PSN with uncommon hospitality in an atmosphere laden with peace and conviviality.

6. Council also expressed its gratitude to the Emir of Kano, His Highness, Muhammad Sanusi II, Sarkin Kano who hosted the PSN at his palace in typical grandeur in what many tagged a festival of colours. Finally, council thanked the Vice Chancellor and Management of Bayero University Kano for courtesies extended to the PSN during its visit ofAugust 17, 2016.

Pharm. Ahmed I. Yakasai, FPSN, FNAPharm, FINM President

Pharm. Gbolagade Iyiola, MAW National Secretary

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