Tell us about the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria?
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) is a very formidable association. The society was founded in 1927. We are the umbrella body of pharmacy groups such as the National Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists, Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria and the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria among others.
We have the certification of the academic pharmacies, and community pharmacists. We also have interest groups like, Association of Lady Pharmacists, Young Pharmacists Group and so many other groups.
We were registered and are fully on the ground. We are also registered by the EFCC arm on money laundering. We belong to the International Federation of Pharmacists and are also a member of the Commonwealth of Pharmacists and others.
We are well covered as far as the global platform is concerned because pharmacists’ co-operation is global and it is important that we do what is right and follow goals.
What are the objectives of the general meeting and scientific conference your society is holding in November?
We are organizing the 89th annual general meeting and scientific conference of the society soon. We used to have not less than 3,000 delegates because we have lots of pharmacists.
This year’s conference is going to be great. Last year it was held in Abuja and this year it will be at Minna, Niger State from 7th to 12th of November.
Tuesday 8th is the opening ceremony and the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo will likely be there and other officials. All ministers will be guests of honour.The governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello, will be the chief host; the governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje will be the special guest of honor.
Pharmacist Oluwakayode who is the guest speaker will talk about the pharmaceutical industry’s contribution to national development because pharmacy does not only involve talking about products, it also involves talking about the public and of the quality of life of the people.
The whole week is divided into the opening ceremony, learning, teaching, and town hall meeting.We will also discuss primary health care, and the new guidelines on drug distribution to make sure that we control drug distribution in Nigeria. So, we have discussion with the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Health and NAFDAC and the drug market.
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The guidelines can help us control the illegal medical stores that are scattered all over the place. So, we must have control if we really want to achieve our goals and again we have issues with target, we are even behind Ethiopia. The ‘Abuja declaration’ is 15% and there was a time we had 5.7% in Nigeria but we are now declaring 3.2 to 3.7% and the National Health Act has to correct these problems.
We are really working towards Nigeria having universal health coverage in order to reduce our load because we don’t have enough facilities.
We keep on talking of research and development and we want to sensitize the private sector and government to be updated.China and India are doing well and Nigeria will be abandoned if we don’t tap into their resources.That is why we are soliciting for Daily Trust to be there. Honestly, we are happy and in love with Daily Trust newspaper.
How is lack of forex impacting on the pharmaceutical sector?
The issue of FOREX is very fundamental, and it has affected the production, distribution and raw materials in Nigeria. We have been appealing and the federal government has promised that the CBN will release money to manufacturers.We hope that before our conference, the CBN will release the money for industries to bring the raw materials and the finished products.
People are complaining about the high cost of drugs. What is your association doing to remedy the situation which is really taking its toll on the people, especially the poor?
I keep saying that after food the next thing is drug. But one dollar is about N450 or N470, with this, I cannot see in the near future how drugs will be affordable without forex.
But we have to look inwards as far as the universal health coverage.There are many issues that will make you to spend from your pocket. We should make the National Health Insurance Scheme effective and ensure that the healthcare professions like pharmacies properly give their own, and also connect to Health Management Organisations.
What is your take on research and development in the pharmaceutical sector?
Africans naturally don’t want to spend money in this area. We have institutes and equipment but funding is the problem.
The government is not funding research and development. You can imagine that before now we used to produce small vaccines but we don’t do that anymore.
Even the overhead is a problem and for you to go into this, you need lots of money not in naira but in millions of dollars. For one product you need about $250 million then you go for your patency.
So, FOREX, funding of research and development are fundamental issues that we must focus on so that our people can get it.
Then, the implementation of National Heath Act will go a long way in solving the problem because if we can get this one percent from the consolidated revenue, it will get all the dollar.
More so soon the Global Alliance on Vaccines and Immunization will withdraw completely, so our indigenous manufacturers should think of producing vaccines locally.
The much needed thing now is money to get the raw materials. Electricity is a problem and the patronage by the government is not there.
Even though we have many companies now, no country in Africa has a company that is pre-qualified by the WHO. However 15 are in the process, the first will make it by 2018 and we are going to have another 20. But there is no patronage. Even the international donors donating drugs don’t patronise our WHO qualified companies, it is a problem. We are advocating that they patronise us.
Informally, you see our products all over in other countries but we need the international patronage; we need hard currency from the federal, states and local governments.
We have quality products.You hardly find fake drugs from the local producers because we always monitor them unlike other parts of the world where fake drugs are brought in. This is an arm that is very important and we are advocating for the government to do the right thing, we need FOREX.
We want the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) to be looked at.
By: Ojoma Akor, Olayemi John-Mensah & Kashimana Michael-Ejegwa
Daily Trust News
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