AS Pharmacists all over the world today celebrate the World Pharmacists Day, Nigerians have been advised to patronize licensed Pharmacists to obtain their drugs, be critical of consulting fake drug peddlers and also be wary of taking such drugs which instead of proffering solution to their problems would rather complicate their cases and result into health hazards. 

At a programme organized by the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Eti-Osa Zone to mark the World Pharmacists Day with the theme: “Access to Pharmacists is access to health” which took place at Orchid Hotels, Lekki, the Chairman of the Association, Ndukwe Umar Ndukwe lamented the proliferation of fake drugs despite the association’s collaboration with regulatory body to checkmate the activities of drug peddlers, re-iterating their concern as Community Pharmacists that health of the people in the community where they live and operate remains uppermost in their mind.

“Knowing the grave implication of fake drugs, we work hand in hand with our regulatory body and also educate the public through opportunities available to us of the great dangers of buying drugs from hawkers and unqualified sellers.   “We intimate them of the fact that such drugs may be cheaper and peddlers very accessible to them, but they are poisons that can kill.  On cost issue, the government also has role to play. 

“In the same manner we do not expect Pharmacists to buy fake drugs, more so as we have the regulatory body that has the overriding power to walk into a Pharmacy and inspect the drugs and also call for receipts to know the source of those drugs.  However, I can say that most of my members if not all are ethically conscious and that is why we have not had a similar report” he said. 

Ndukwe described World Pharmacists day as a day set aside by the World Federation of Pharmacists for Pharmacists to come together appreciate one another and empower themselves, which the Zone was also observing to be better practitioners for the good of the public and also assist the government in meeting the millennium development goals particularly as it relates to health.

“As an association, we have the commitment to do about two or three  community outreach programmes in a year depending on how we are able to fund it.  Traditionally, it is expected that a day or two before our summit, which comes up on the 8th of next month, we would have a community health screening, health awareness, health information programme at Badore Community and this is the reason we do task ourselves to see that we give back to the community.  We are assure, we will make a success of it, more-so with the outbreak of ebola virus so that members of the community will be better informed and more equipped with better information on hygiene and healthy life style.  The other things we do are already encapsulated in our primary function where we make sure as much as possible everybody that patronizes Pharmacy goes with an additional information that goes along with the prescription he or she may have come in with and it is critical to our job” he said. 

Ndukwu referred to the “World No Tobacco Day” marked by the Association June this year at Ilasan Secondary School in tandem with the Association’s practice of reaching out to the community at least once or twice a year.

Ndukwe also called for the gab between doctors and pharmacists to be bridged   since both work hand in hand. 

He berated the attitude of foreign investors coming to Nigeria with the intent of changing existing laws, who prefer to sell their drugs and make huge amount of profit to the detriment of Nigerians.  

“We are not averse to foreigners coming to do business in Nigeria provided they empower us and positively impact on our economy who can also sell their franchise to us. 

“As Nigeria Pharmacists, also licenced to make a mixture, we are proud of ourselves, ready to serve Nigerians and also improve on our services.  

The Chairman of the occasion, Chief Pharmacist, Daytona Peoples Pharmacy Limited, Owolabi Shita said that until the government take decisive action on fake drug peddlers, by punishing severely any culprit, they would continue with their nefarious activities. 

“In United States of America for example, a manufacturer of a drug cannot just sell the drug to people but as a licenced manufacturer, he is to sell drugs to licenced wholesalers who also sell to licenced pharmacists” he said.

  The Chairperson the Programme, Mrs. Olanike Kehinde Nike Adenuga,:  People should be educated if they come for drugs and where they refuse tobe educated, the proper thing is to deny them the drug they are ignorantly asking for.  You need a lot of vegetable.s  Depending on the type of diabetes that has been diagnosed by the doctor,  They can eat everything in small portion but depending on the type of diabetes.  People are advised to reduce the quantity of carbon hydrate. Yam flour are over processed whereby the fibre is removed.