FG warns Nigerians on danger of self-medication

The Federal Government has warned Nigerians to desist from taking drugs without prescription stressing that self-medication portends more danger than the ailment itself.

The Director of Hospital Services, Dr Adebimpe Adebiyi, in an interview at the 2022 World Patients Safety Day Walk organised by the Federal Ministry of Health in partnership with World Health Organization (WHO) in Abuja, said: “We are sensitising the entire populace that it is not enough for you to have headache and you will go and grab Paracetamol or panadol from the pharmacy.”

Adebiyi said, although, it is an out of the counter medication but one still need to have a knowledge of the underlying condition.

“What is given you that headache? for some people, it may be what they don’t ever think off. It is good for you to be examined by healthcare professionals and diagnosis made so that the correct medication can be given to you,” she said.

She further said the walk is actually to sensitise the entire country and ensuring that even the healthcare professionals too, carry out best practices not just the usual.

On sanctions for erring healthcare professionals, Adebiyi explained that there are t regulatory bodies and they know what to do.

She said once any of these malpractices are reported to the regulatory bodies, action will be taking.

“For example, at the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, there is an investigative panel and there’s a tribunal that tries cases of malpractice. Anyone found wanting, of course will be sanctions according to the law,” she added.

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Similarly, a Community Physician and Patient Safety Consultant for the Federal Ministry of Health, Prof Stephen Abah, disclosed that the government is currently drafting policy on patient safety for Nigeria.

He said worldwide, patients safety is taking center stage particularly this year when the theme is focused on medication

He said: We need to educate Nigerians on the danger inherent in this kind of practice. You need to know the drugs you are consuming, the consequences and empower patients individual families so that they can ask questions on the kind of drugs and medications they are given.”

Also, a Chief Executive Officer of Patient Safety Ambassadors, Ehi Eden, said medication safety has become critical issue globally as it is one of the leading causes of death in healthcare.

Eden disclosed that 50 percent of healthcare deaths is from the medication safety as the case is under reported and what is happening today is to create advocacy, awareness and engage stakeholders in the possible ways to manage medication safety.