PSN moves to boost production of local drugs

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has said that work-plan is already in place to ensure that Nigeria boosts its locally made drugs in the country.
Mr Sam Ohuabunwa, the National President of the PSN, stated this on Wednesday in Ilorin at a news conference organised by the Kwara Chapter of the society.

Ohuabunwa decried the country’s dependence on importation of drugs, stating that as of 2005, the country was importing about 70 per cent of its drugs from outside.
He noted that Nigeria depends significantly on imported drugs to take care of the health needs of its about 200 million people.

The PSN national president stated that the work plan would ensure that the pharmaceutical industry in Nigeria is encouraged through policies and political will to produce adequate, quality and affordable drugs locally to meet the health needs of Nigerians.
He said local production is now estimated to be around 35 per cent and does not reflect the skills and capacity of local industries.

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He underscored the need for government intervention in several areas to boost the capacity of local pharmaceutical companies, adding that so much importation of drugs was not good for the country.
He urged the Federal Government to ensure that the pharmacists as custodian of drugs are centrally and given their rightful place in drug administration in Nigeria’s healthcare facilities.

“You cannot have board meetings in health facilities and the pharmacists who control drugs are absent,’’ he said.
According to him, the government must ensure that pharmacists are the fulcrum in the Primary Health Care (PHC), because PSN has observed that drugs are used at that level without scrutiny from the pharmacists.

Ohuabunwa urged people to always get their drugs from pharmacists to avoid getting fake drugs.