In attendance at the Retreat were the members of PSN National Executive Committee, Registrar, PCN, Pharm. N.A.E Mohammed, FPSN, President of APIN, Pharm. (Sir) Nnamdi Obi,FPSN, National Chairman of NAIP, Pharm. Gbenga Falabi,FPSN, President of NIROPHARM, Pharm. Lekan Asuni,FPSN, Chairman, PMG-MAN, Pharm. Okey Akpa,FPSN, Chairman of ACPN, Pharm. (Dr.) Alkali A. Kelong, National Chairman of AHAPN, Pharm. Martins Oyewole and 3 representatives each from the APIN, NAIP, NIROPHARM and PMG-MAN.  

The aims and objectives of the Retreat were highlighted as follows;

1.         To foster harmony and bond toward achieving greater success and progress in the pharmaceutical industry.

2.         To provide the needed forum for robust exchange of ideas in view of the present concerns and issues affecting the Industry with the aim of proffering solutions to them.

3.         To strengthen collaborative relationship and network among stakeholders towards moving the Pharma Industry forward by having one voice in addressing important national issues as they affect the industry.

4.         To identify issues affecting Pharmaceutical Manufacturing (Drug Production and Distribution) which include: Scarcity of Raw Materials availability and Finished Products, Lack of Incentives, Forex Issues, Public Private Partnership (PPP), dearth of Highly Skill Manpower, Poor Data Generation, Policy inconsistencies of various laws affecting Pharma industry, Common External Tariff (CET), Counterfeit and Fake Drugs issues, Information Technology component, improvement on Distribution Channels and establishment of Pharma Industry Practitioners Academy (PIPA).

The Retreat deliberated exhaustively on the four position papers presented, the highlights of the presentations are as follows;

  APIN

 -     Canvassed for harmony in the Pharma Industry.

-     Promised to abide by the present NDDG model with Coordinated Wholesale Centers as amended by stakeholders.

-     Urged PSN to step up advocacy for a duty-free (0% duty) on Pharma products to encourage local production in the country and increase capacity utilization in the industry.

NAIP

-     Observed that that the entry barrier in the Pharma Industry is too low, thereby making it all comers investment hub which has made regulation difficult.

-     The bane of multiple registrations of products by NAFDAC from the same foreign source.

-     Multiple/Dual Job appointments by medical representatives due to lack of adequate background checks in the Industry.

-     Poor remuneration in the industry. 

-     Low capacity utilization.

-     Need for collaboration between NAFDAC and Customs to track the data of raw materials and products imported into the Country.

NIROPHARM

-     Harped on the need to set up a Pharmaceutical group to be headed by PSN President comprising of all the stakeholders in the Pharma Industry with the undergoing philosophy of rendering benefits to the public.

-     Institutionalization of the suggested Pharma group when formed by inclusion into the PSN Constitution.

-     NDDG Implementation fully supported as amended with Coordinated Wholesale Centers.

-     Professional Certification and Training

-     Establishing Pharmaceutical Code of Conduct for the members.

-     Step up standards needed in guiding the young and upcoming (prospective members.)

-     Ensure adequacy of facilities to enhance access to patients.

-     Mapping of locations of facilities should be encouraged to promote Pharmacists oversight in other practitioners.

-     IT backbone (Model) should be instituted to link the wholesalers and retailers for easy inventory.

-     Setting up of Intervention funds to support distribution of Pharma Products in Nigeria via the International Finance Corporation (IFC)

-     Establishment of a robust structure for financing pharmaceutical wholesalers and retailers through the Bank by placing a credit limit for each premises.

-     Fostering of harmony by encouraging and promoting contract manufacturing between importers and local manufacturer as represented by PMG-MAN via Technical Transfers and Forex.

PMG-MAN

-     Lack of cross fertilization of information and ideas among the different groups in the Pharma Industry

-     Rise in the cost of raw materials

-     Lack of electricity to power manufacturing processes and increase in the cost of diesel

-     Multiple taxation by Government Agencies

-     Failure of the Pharmacy Profession with its practitioners to recreate itself in order to remain relevant in the industry and the nation at large.

-     Persuading each International/multinational manufacturing company to established its manufacturing outfit here in Nigeria as done in other countries e.g. Egypt, Jordan etc.

-     Need to ensure medicine security in the country, PSN and PCN were challenged to devise a strategy for achieving this as it is of great concern to the industry.

RESOLUTIONS

1.         Retreat identified unnecessary competition existing among the stakeholders in the Pharma Industry and advised members to close ranks.

2.         Retreat mandated the local manufacturers (PMG-MAN) to market their capacities and products to the importers (APIN, NIROPHARM) in order to encourage contract manufacturing so as to increase the capacity utilization of the local industry. The retreat further reiterated the need to encourage pharma industry to identify areas of strength of the pharmaceutical companies for purposes of contract manufacturing, packaging, sales and marketing among the pharma groups in order to maximise the industry potentials.

3.         Retreat called for Medicine Security and resolved that infrastructure must be improved and a concept developed by PMG-MAN to emulate a business model that evolved in the countries like Jordan, Morocco and Egypt where multinationals were mandated to established their manufacturing plants in the Countries.

4.         Retreat called for policy amendment on Common External Tariff (CET) in Nigeria that drug items that are not manufactured in Nigeria should attract 0% duty (duty free) as well as imported raw materials 5% duty and 15% -20% duty for finished products imported to the Country so as to encourage the growth of the local Pharma manufacturing industry.

5.         Retreat advised that policy thrust should be initiated by Federal Government of Nigeria to encourage the transition of importation to production of pharmaceutical products in Nigeria and resolved that a timeline should be put in place through the instrumentality of legislation for Pharma Products to be manufactured in Nigeria after renewal of their registration by NAFDAC.

6.         Retreat canvassed for speedy process for implementation of the NDDG come July 2017 without further delay as Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) has developed a minimum standard for the value chain with inspection of facilities taking place across the Country. 

7.         Retreat resolved to fully address the issue of multiple job appointments by medical representatives through the investigating panel of PCN when the Governing Council of PCN is reconstituted.

8          Retreat gave its unequivocal support to PSN President to form the Pharma group comprising of APIN, President NIROPharm, Chairman PMG-MAN, and National Chairman NAIP and meet quarterly for the progress of the Pharma Industry.

9.         Retreat urged NAFDAC to institute reciprocal regulatory guidelines and framework for foreign companies seeking to enter Pharma Industry as is obtained in their countries.

10.       Retreat called for a set up of standing committee of regulators of in the industry comprising NAFDAC, PCN, Federal Ministry of Health to ensure adequate regulation and monitoring of activities in the industry for the benefit of the public.

At the end of the session, the PSN President, Pharm. Ahmed I.Yakasai,FPSN expressed satisfaction and pleasure on the success achieved at the Retreat. He harped on the need to improve on productive dialogue among Pharma groups.