The chairman also a Don in the University of Maiduguri said that insurgency and that singular threat to the lives of members some years ago actually brought back the hand of the clock in the fight against fake and substandard drugs in the state.
But was shocked to hear that a drug seller could try such daring act when the task force had gone to the popular drug market in Maiduguri near customs area of the town to inspect his shop.
They had hardly settled down to business when the merchants of death brought out a gun and dared the team to audit their stock of fake drugs.
Since then also because of insurgency, they had been quite careful about how they go about hunting down the drug dealers in Maiduguri who are extremely powerful and some even have political alliances to powerful people they can call to stop the raid.
Dr Jamilu however assured that the fake and substandard drugs cartel in Borno state will be defeated as a new and energized task force will soon be going after them guns for guns.
He told the tribune that this time around, they will not be able to bring out guns to intimidate members because the committee has been re-energized with the men of the Police, DSS and all relevant stake holders in the business.
Pharmacist Jamilu regretted that the illegal drugs cartels “do all manner of wrongs such as relabeling drugs to expand the expiration date and reselling to the public, and all that is done in customs and Gamboru road market area of the town.
“With this development, most of the patient medicine stores will be de-registered or closed down soonest so that we have a reduction in the unfit drugs in circulation. This is the only way we can stop them from harming our inspectors and our people.
He said that because of the lingering insurgency, everybody was careful even before they pulled a gun at some of their inspectors who went to enforce our laws where fake drugs were being sold.
“Patient medicine owners can sell only over the counter drugs and nothing more. They are not supposed to be selling prescribed drugs like antibiotics, not even syringe yet they do sell and explore the ignorance of the people.
Dr Jamilu regretted that such wrongs happen due to the permissive nature of the society because wrongs normally should be reported by those who know in the society but they don’t possibly out of fear of the situation we find ourselves in Borno.
“They are not supposed to operate just anywhere but only where pharmacists are absent. These days you see them anywhere even daring to mount the sign post of a pharmacy shop when he is just a business man making money at the expense of the ignorance of the people.
“Some of them thrive on what we call the register and go syndrome which they employ to get their pharmacy shops on, that could easily be done when pharmacists work with them during their service year and beyond. He registers the premises and leaves for another job or location.
“And when the pharmacist leaves they maintain the shops in the name of that pharmacist long gone. Another pharmacist comes and his name is used to re-register, that is the way they keep on maintaining their shops, while they are the ones that go to buy fake drugs and dispense in the name of the license.” said Jamilu.
He said that the council has already empowered the inspectorate committee to go after these fake sellers of doom and stop them from their lingering wickedness against thousands who die yearly due to the wrong drugs.
He regretted that impunity multiplied because the inspectorate committee in Maiduguri collapsed long ago due to safety issues, “this was even before some sellers brought out guns to shoot at the members who dared check their fake drug supplies to non-retailers ”
On control of fake drugs the chaiman said they are trying to build a central area for the purchase drugs along Molai area of Maiduguri, the state government will provide the building and logistics while the PSN and council will man the place.
The arrangements and building of the centre should be concluded this year with a view to eradicate open Market purchase which happens in the dangerous customs market.
Jamilu is not happy that the NAFDAC and the academic pharmaceutical professionals are not working together adding that the situation was just too bad and people were unaware of this very sad development and how it affects the people.
About sixty phamarcists were registered in the state alone with more than twenty-five general hospitals yet they don’t have up to twelve pharmacists.
On the demands of non-pharmacist on their rights to sell everything including drugs, he said the courts ruled that drugs are not tomatoes in the market, so only professionals that can handle drugs.
Speaking on the scarcity of some drugs and the need for pharmacists to mount compounding units, the chair said that “we have few because most of the drug companies have made things easy by producing almost all the drugs needed except for a few but we have a compounding unit at UMTH and we do meet up to any demand that comes.
Dr Jamilu believes that pharmacy is not only about making money but equally an important service to humanity and it must remain so.
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