Addressing some of the challenges that the Pharmaceutical Society in Nigeria is currently dealing with, the President of the Pharmaceutical Society, Cyril Odianose Usifoh has suggested that the government boosts local production of drugs, to help lower the high cost of medications.
Speaking in an Interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday, Usifoh stated that fixing local production is topmost and would be very beneficial, since it will no doubt help to cut down on importation costs.
“But one of the things that is topmost is to actually improve and complement government efforts regarding local production of drugs. Government had actually come out with a policy that they want to boost local production. I think if that is properly fixed, that would help the average Nigerian.”
However, he also mentioned that there are some challenges with regards to making this feat a reality.
“We are aware of some of the difficulties we have, particularly with energy. People don’t have enough electricity to power their equipment to be able to produce. We also have the issue of capacity. Its no longer news that many pharmacists are leaving the shores of this country and that some pharmaceutical industries are finding it difficult to employ pharmacists to man their experienced ones, to man their industries.”
Further speaking on the importance of improving local production, he said our ability to be self-sufficient will attract foreign investors.
“We have investors who will want to invest and I think that’s one of the things the coordinating minister is pursuing vigorously. Have good investors who will come and invest in the country, and then kick start the local production and be able to be self-sufficient to reasonable extent. If we are self-sufficient up to 60-70 percent of our medicines, that would be a great goal to achieve and I hope we can achieve it because we have people who are willing to help in this direction.”
He added that the president should have an adviser on pharmaceuticals and medicine.
“Together with my past president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, we brainstormed last Tuesday and some of these things we’ll put forward for the minister by the time we have a meeting at the end of this month. Specifically, we need to have, if possible, the president should be able to have an adviser on pharmaceuticals, on medicine, so that whatever grounds or things you have, such person would be endowed to direct the course of how this investment would be done. So, that it would not just be an investment done ‘by politicians’ and the average Nigerian doesn’t get what he deserves.
“I believe government is good and they will definitely listen to such advice. In that way we would make sure that the investments are properly directed to our needs in the country. Secondly, I think double taxation is something that we need to look at. For pharmaceuticals to be cheap, for medicines to be cheap, we need to lower taxes. We need to give incentives to manufacturers. We Also need to give incentives to people who distribute these particular medicines. It’s not enough to manufacture a drug. It’s not enough to get drugs into this country, but if the drug doesn’t get the final consumer, it could be a problem.
“If you manufacture at very low prices and you have a lot of middle men, that could also potent high cost of drugs. By the time we sit together and look at these opportunities, we look at the value chain to make sure that when a drug is produced, it gets to the final consumer. NAFDAC is talking about traceability to be able to trace a drug, from its production, from its origin to the final consumer. That would enable us to also stamp out the menace of fake and counterfeit drugs.
“The pharmacy council and NAFDAC should work together to be able to stamp out these open drug market. Drugs shouldn’t be sold in the open drug market. They should be properly controlled by NAFDAC and Pharmacy Council of Nigeria. I’m sure we’re moving in the right direction, but like I strongly said, we probably would need an adviser on Pharmaceuticals or medicine for Mr. President, who should be a pharmacist, who should be able to advise when drugs come in and what to do when they come in.”
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