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Tag: Pharmacists Council of Nigeria

  • Drug abuse: Stakeholders advocate speedy implementation of approved APML

     Stakeholders in the health sector have urged Federal Government to fast-tract development and implementation of the Approved Patent Medicines List (APML) to curb menace of drug abuse in Nigeria.

    They made the call on Thursday in Abuja at a planning meeting for the review of APML and identified the measure to reduce menace of drug abuse.

    The meeting was organised by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), in collaboration with Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria-Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health at Scale Project (PSN-PAS).

    The stakeholders included the Federal Ministry of Health, PCN, Majesty Rural Community Development Foundation, Geonita Initiative for Women and Child Development, Foundation for Family Values and Health Orientation and Empowerment, among others.

    The meeting had deliberated on inclusion of drugs into the proposed APML for each category of the three tiers of PPMVs focussing on FP and other Primary Healthcare commodities.

    Dr Edwin Akpotor, Senior Programme Officer, PSN-PAS, said the meeting was aimed at reviewing and reaching an agreement on a road map toward re-positioning Patent and Proprietary Medicines Vendors (PPMVs).

    Akpotor said that this was aimed at providing quality services at the community level.

    The programme officer said due to non-stratification of the APML, it was very difficult for the regulatory agencies to enforce guidelines to rid quackery and sub-standard products from facilities across the country.

    According to him, with the new APML, PPMVs will be better positioned to provide improved quality services.

    In his remarks, the Registrar of PCN, Mr. Elijah Mohammed, admonished stakeholders to continue to support the council and the government in strengthening health services provided by Community Pharmacists (CPs) and PPMVs.

    READ ALSO: Govt urges youths to shun drug abuse, trafficking

    Mohammed identified the CPs and PPMVs as the first point of call by majority of the populace seeking healthcare services.

    He said that the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), through the Task Shifting and Task Sharing (TSTS), has targeted them as a means to broaden healthcare services.

    Mohammed said, “The strategies to achieve this are through the expansion of the scope of primary healthcare services provided by CPs and PPMVs in order to address the nation’s poor health indices.’’

    The registrar specifically identified efforts of the council in ensuring improve healthcare delivery by PPMVs to include collaboration with the Management Sciences for Health (MSH) to conduct research project.

    According to him, outcome of the project is Tier Accreditation Model which stratified the PPMVs into three different tiers.

    “The aim of the model is to effectively categorise and train vendors for improve regulation and healthcare services.

    “The council is poised to reposition patent medicine shops to improve the spectrum and quality of healthcare service delivery in these facilities.

    “In line with the repositioning bid, PCN collaborated with the Management Sciences for Health (MSH) to launch and carry out a research project aimed at improving healthcare delivery.

    “The project outcome is the Tier Accreditation model which stratified the PPMVs into three tiers,’’ he said.

    Similarly, Mrs Beauty Okologo, Head of Pharmaceutical Services and Deputy Director, Food and Drug, FMoH, urged the regulatory bodies to ensure strict monitoring or supervision of PPMVs.

    According to her, this is to avoid defeating the intent and purpose of the APML.

  • NGO expresses concern over kidnappings, killings of health workers

    NGO expresses concern over kidnappings, killings of health workers

    An International Non-Governmental Organisation ( NGO ), Ethics Resource Centre Nigeria, on Friday expressed concern over the spate of alleged kidnappings and killings of medical and health workers in Nigeria.

    Mr Ike Onyechere, the Chairman of the organisation, who expressed this view in an interview with the News men in Abuja, described the trend as an impediment to quality healthcare delivery.

    Onyechere also identified insecurity as contributing factors to the nation’s poor health indices.

    The chairman said that the organisation in collaboration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, medical doctors, nurses and midwives, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Radiographers, Nigeria Defence Academy, among others would hold national conference in March.

    According to him, the conference is aim at addressing security challenges confronting health workers and patients.

    The chairman specifically gave instances of health workers and patients being kidnapped and killed in recent past.

    The most recent ones, according to him, is the kidnapping of Dr Emem Udoh, Senior Registrar, Department of Paediatrics University of Calabar Teaching Hospital on Jan. 9 and a-day-old baby that was stolen on Jan. 10, in Tudun Wada, Kaduna.

    He, however, described the situation as unhealthy for the nation’s health system.

    Onyechere said addressing security challenges was the surest way to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG3) on ensuring healthy lives for all by 2030 in the country.

    He said: “Unless the security challenge is successful addressed and resolved in the spirit of collective responsibility of all critical stakeholders, the UN SDG 3 of ensuring healthy lives for all by 2030 will be difficult to achieve in Nigeria”.

    The chairman noted that the conference slated for March 7 would feature the Nurses and Midwifery Council, Nurses and Midwives, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) Medical doctors, dental consultants, pharmacists, Nigerian Defense Academy, among others.

    Read Also: NGOs, others seek NOSDRA Act’s amendment

    Onyechere identified activities lined for the programme to include publication and circulation of Medical and Health Workers Security Manual and security awareness capacity building in all states of the federation.

    According to him, highlight of the conference will include inauguration of Medics Security Joint Action Group, which will serve as the inter-agency coordinating forum for central rapid reporting and recording of incidents involving health workers.

    “The group will also serve as integrated and coordinated liaison with Federal, state and local governments and security agencies for better response, integrated alert systems on actual and potential security threats in particular environment.

    “The group will as well give technical assistance in terms of risk assessment and emergency preparedness among others,” he said.

    Similarly, Dr Friday Omolei, the Chairman, National Committee on Security of Medical Doctors, said the conference was geared toward addressing complex issues of terrorism, kidnapping ravaging the health system.

    Omolei said the menace was one of the factors responsible for the rate of maternal, newborn and under-five mortality.

    Omolei, who described the issue of insecurity in health sector as trending, noted that it had impacted negatively on health care delivery specifically maternal, neonatal and under-five mortality.

    “As a result of this issue of insecurity immunisation efforts are disrupted, healthcare workers and families relocate from these unsafe areas to areas of safety.

    “Government rather than focusing on providing healthcare services spend such efforts on how to resolve these kidnapping issues and kidnapped victims.

    “This inter-agency collaborative approach will yield better results in terms of stopping the increasing tide of medical professionals relocating from insurgency and kidnap prone environments, which is making public access to healthcare deliver harder.

    “Due to the challenge as well maternal, neonatal, under five and other mortality ratios and indices worse,” he said.

    NAN

  • Enugu: Pharmarcy Council seals 264 unlicensed pharmacy premises

    A total of 264 premises have been sealed up in Enugu by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria for various offences.

    Five persons were arrested.

    The premises made up of 52 illegal pharmacies and 212 patent medicine were sealed up for offences ranging from operating without registration, failure to renew premises license, dispensing ethical products without the supervision of a pharmacist to poor sanitary conditions among others.

    The Director Inspection and Monitoring department of the Pharmacists Council, Mrs. Anthonia Aruya told reporters in Enugu that 339 premises were visited by them, comprising 82 pharmacies and 257 patent medicine shops.

    According to her, what they observed in Enugu “is that so many premises commenced operations without fulfilling minimum requirements for registration while others failed to renew their license to operate such premises or shops.”

    She disclosed that some of these premises in environments where the quality, safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products cannot be guaranteed.

    “Others do not have the requisite knowledge or knowhow to handle the highly ethical drugs in their facilities. This exercise is part of efforts by the PCN to reverse this ugly trend and improve on the level of pharmaceutical services delivery to the good people of Enugu state,” Aruya stressed.

    The exercise, according to her, had been carried out in Lagos two times, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Ebonyi, Kwara and Benue.

    Others include Delta, Oyo, Ekiti, Osun, Abuja, Nasarawa, Cross River, Ogun, Kaduna and Taraba states.

     

  • PCN can regulate sales, dispensing of veterinary drugs – Registrar

    The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) says it can regulate the sale and dispensing of veterinary drugs, vaccines and animal life (biological) as part of its statutory mandate.

    The Council’s Registrar, Mr. Elijah Mohammed, made this known in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

    Mohammed said that ensuring sanity and standard was part of its mandate to regulate the practice of pharmacy in all ramifications in the country.

    NAN recalls that the Federal High Court in Abuja on March 24 gave a judgment that the provisions of the Animal Diseases (Control) Act did not impinge on the PCN’s powers in respect to registration of premises where animal drugs are kept.

    The Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) had sued the council, challenging its powers to regulate and control pharmacy education, training and practice in all aspects.

    The association had also argued that the mandate of the PCN should be restricted to manufacturing, distribution, sale and dispensing of human drugs.

    NVMA further maintained that the veterinary surgeons should have the authority and rights to handle, sell and dispense veterinary drugs, vaccines and animal biologicals.