THE Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria has threatened to sanction its members who enter into any illegal deal with government agencies and hospitals. 

The PSN President, Olumide Akintayo, read the Riot Act at a briefing to herald the association's 87th conference planned for Uyo, Akwa Ibom State in November. 

 Akintayo, who frowned on any illegal partnership, said such a deal impacted negatively on the profession. 

According to him, many Public- Private- Partnership models in public hospitals are set up to exploit unsuspecting members of the public. 

He said, "We are worried at attempts by some government organisations to reduce pharmacy practice to a purely commercial venture of buying and selling with absolutely no standards in guise of public-private- partnership. 

"There are patients who go to public hospitals-only - because they assume drugs in such facilities are genuine, considering the reality of the fake drugs syndrome which is ravaging the sector. That is why the PSN continues to caution on the consequence of diverting a guaranteed public sector market in public facilities to private profiteers." 

Urging pharmacists and other stakeholders to be cautious before entering into a pact, Akintayo warned that the PSN would sanctions its members who violate the guidelines of the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria. 

He noted that as part of its efforts - to standardise pharmaceutical practice in the country, the society at the forthcoming conference would seek to better ways of lifting the profession to loftier heights. 

 

Bukola Adebayo

PUNCH