The new guideline on operational drug distribution (NGDG) by the Federal Government will eliminate hawking of drugs by non-pharmacists, President, Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIPN), Gbenga Falabi has said.
The new guideline was launched by the immediate past Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu.
Falabi revealed this to reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, during the first anniversary of the state’s chapter of the association.
The theme of the anniversary was “Sanitising Chaotic Drug Distribution System in Nigeria.”
He said: “The major challenge is to let average Nigerians know that all drugs are poison, including vitamins, because somebody can die from an overdose of vitamin. Drugs are not commodities. That done, the next thing on the line is for us to agree to sanitise the chaotic distribution system that we have, so that drugs would not be bought on the street, but should be bought and be used as prescribed and dispensed by the pharmacists.
“The Federal Government has developed a new drug distribution guideline launched by the former Minister of Health. The guideline was supposed to kick off effectively next month. We are not sure yet how it will start; what we are saying is that if every Nigerian will embrace the change which we know initially it can be difficult but necessary, it can be done.”
He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint competent administrator as the next minister for health.
The pharmacist said, “the position of a minister is not something that should be reserved for any profession. A minister is an administrator and I believe that the best administrator that could best serve the interest of the nation should be considered. This has little or nothing to do with that professional background. Prof Eyitayo Lambo was a health administrator he performed excellently well as a minister. When Julius Adelusi was the minister for health he performed creditably well.”
Earlier, the state chair of NAIPN, Durowoju Ayodeji said though Nigeria has the highest population in Africa, drug consumption is dangerously low.
He said this unsavory situation informed federal government’s renewed commitment to ensure safe consumption of drugs.