AS part of efforts to encourage excellence among pharmacy students and arouse the interest of others in the study of the course, the National Association of Industrial Pharmacists, Kano State chapter recently instituted academic award for best graduating students of pharmaceutical science.

 

  For now, the scholarship award is restricted to only four tertiary institutions that offer pharmacy in the North, out of the 16 universities in the country that offer the course.

 

  The benefiting institutions are Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Usman Danfodio University Sokoto, University of Jos and University of Maiduguri.

 

  The association also used the occasion to unveil its publication titled, “A Guide to Pharmaceutical Products Manufacturing.

 

  Inaugurating the N200, 000 scholarship scheme at its 6th  Annual Symposium and Business Summit Tuesday, chairman of the state branch of the association, Bala Maikudi, emphasised that the project was initiated to support students who are choosing a career in the field of pharmacy.

 

  “Our intention is to encourage more students to study pharmacy just as we remain committed to supporting those already in the profession. We want to create an enabling environment for young pharmacists so that would soon realise that they are in the best profession in the world. With a token of N50, 000 for the four best graduating students in the four institutions, we hope to sustain it and even do more to build more interest.

 

  “At the same time we would like to call on government and individuals to initiate similar gesture on their own. Our plan is to expand and create more schemes that would create more opportunities. But it is obvious we cannot stretch beyond our capacity. This is the reason we would solicit and even advocate similar positive initiatives,” Maikudi noted.

 

 He lamented the country’s overdependence on imported medications, despite the abundance of capacity to boost local pharmaceutical industries.

 

  The association boss also stressed that the development was not unconnected with the influx of substandard drugs into the country, despite the avalanche of regulatory agencies.

 

  While advocating stringent measures to check the importation of counterfeit drugs, Maikudi insisted that no indigenous pharmaceutical manufacturing company would embark on such unwholesome practice. 

 

  “A situation whereby more than 90 per cent of drugs consumed in the country are imported does not augur well for the country. This is because those drugs account for billions of naira, which are to the advantage of other countries, but to the detriment of our country. It is so unfortunate. We want government to invest in this sector to create job opportunities for our teeming youths. 

 

  Special Assistant on Pharmaceutical Affairs to Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Ali Adamu, restated government commitment to rid Kano of fake drugs, especially in the popular Sabon Gari open drug market.

 

  He maintained that government has confiscated over N500m worth of substandard drugs smuggled into Kano markets.