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Sep192017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Pharm. Egbulugha: Before the Stain Endures

To be accused of masterminding a kidnap operation is to be tried, convicted and sentenced, all without the benefit of having your day in court. And even if such allegations are dismissed or unfounded, the stain remains for a long time if not forever. Such is the case with Pharm. Emeka Godson Egbulugha, who was until 12th May, 2017, the superintendent pharmacist working for Maydon Pharmaceuticals Limited, based in Ilupeju area of Lagos. He also doubled as a sales representative for the company. On that fateful day, Emeka was arrested by a team from the Nigeria Police Force on allegation of masterminding the kidnap of his boss, Mr. Donatus Dunu, on the 14th of February, 2017 by unknown gunmen. Mr. Dunu according to reports had alleged that while in captivity he overheard the voice of Eme

Aug142017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Averting Abuse of Pharmacy License through Investment

Editorial Opinion, NEWS

Stakeholders in the pharmacy profession are unanimous in their opinions that abuse of pharmacy license by practitioners remains a major factor militating against the development of the profession in the country. Popular opinion agrees there is the need to confront the challenge using multi-pronged approach such as: re-orientation of young pharmacists, enforcement of relevant laws by PCN, mandatory capturing of personal data of all members, funding, collaborative efforts by practitioners and the entire stakeholders in the industry, as well as adoption of the whistle blower strategy, etc. Recall that upon graduation from the universities in the 1960’s up to late 1980’s, pharmacists got their dream jobs with minimum effort. But all that changed when the Nigerian economy began to head sout

Jul102017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Time to Stop Abuse of Pharmacy License

Editorial Opinion, NEWS

Unethical practices have over time been deep-seated in the pharmacy profession - giving rise to a nasty befoulment that has festered to this day. The conduct of a few unscrupulous elements among superintendent pharmacists may further drag the image of the noble profession in the mud if authorities in the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, and indeed stakeholders in the industry do not act fast to stem the ugly situation. The obsession to exchange pharmacy license for money among superintendent pharmacists across the country is currently on the increase, and must be stopped before the integrity of the profession is completely ruined. It is well known that a good number of registered pharmacists collude with pharmaceutical traders most of whom are non professionals, to practice a concept pop

Jun22017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Maximising The Role Of Pharmacists In (Public) Healthcare Service

Editorial Opinion, NEWS

Pharmacists are medication experts whose eventual aim is to care about the health of their patients and lead them to full recovery. And so the most important goal of pharmaceutical care is to accomplish positive results from the use of medication which improves the quality of life of every patient with minimum risk. Pharmacists by their professional calling are dedicated to ensuring that disease is cured, symptoms are either eliminated or substantially reduced, an ailment is arrested or at worse its process slowed down. Also, the pharmacist is saddled with the responsibility of preventing disease, diagnosing disease as well as altering physiological processes for desirable result in the patient’s health. All over the world the pharmacist is known to be about the most accessible (health)

May192017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

The Meningitis Challenge – A Case for Local Production of Vaccines

Editorial Opinion, NEWS

It has been over a century since the first outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) epidemic occurred in Nigeria. And just as it is today, the first outbreak also emanated from the northern parts of the country – Zungeru to be precise, and reported in 1905 in the Journal of Tropical Medicine by McGahey. Though the first outbreak of the disease has no detailed accounts of it recorded safe to say that the epidemic was widespread – extending as far as Yola which is on the fringes of the North-East of Nigeria about 500 miles away east of Zungeru. In this first occurrence about 20,000 people were affected in which many thousands of deaths were recorded. There is no gain saying the fact that the meningitis epidemic that has been sweeping through the country recently took the health authoritie

Apr62017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Noise and the Health Hazards Posed by Generator Sets

Editorial Opinion, NEWS

With the epileptic power (supply) in the country - degenerating from bad to worse, and the nation losing huge revenue due to compounded energy crisis, the populace are also being encumbered with even greater (health) risks owing to noise, and air pollution. Part of the characteristics of the average Nigerian being that he easily ‘adapts’ to any situation he finds himself is not necessarily a resounding attribute. Albeit in the midst of abundance, the society inexplicably remains docile - coping with every manner of absurdity. The health hazards posed by the noise, let alone the pollution that emanates from power generating plants in our society is one that should make any health watcher shudder with rage and dread. For majority of Nigerians today, it is almost impossible for one not to

Mar202017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Beyond Import Tax Reduction on Pharma Raw Materials

Editorial Opinion

It was indeed a New Year present as the pharmaceutical health sub sector awoke to the news of duty slash on imported pharma raw materials in January. One would recall that during the last Annual National Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) which took place in Minna the Niger State capital in November of 2016, the body of pharmacists reeled out a number of points in a communiqué, to the government of the day regarding how to move the health sub sector forward. Prior to this event however, the PSN had made a high powered representation to government when it among other issues earnestly requested the president Muhammadu Buhari-led federal Government to see to it that every visible impediment on the way of local manufacturing as well as importation of pharmaceutical raw

Jan102017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Editorial – Time to Enforce Drug Prescription with Generic Names

Editorial Opinion

Against the backdrop of high cost of essential medicines, occasioned by the current economic meltdown in Nigeria, there is the urgent need for authorities in the health sector to seek ways of reducing the effects of this development on the populace. Recent reports indicate that the cost of medicines had tripled in the last few months to the extent that their procurement is currently beyond the reach of the common man. For instance, it had been reported that essential drugs for the treatment of pains, malaria, and typhoid fever among numerous other ailments had risen to 300 per cent while drugs for treatment and management of diabetes, hypertension, cancer and HIV/AIDS rose to between 500 and 600 per cent, and no, there seems to be no end in sight. We view the development as a serious ...

Oct122016 by PharmaTimes1 Comment

EDITORIAL- PSN Conference and National Development

Editorial Opinion

The 89th Annual National Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, the umbrella association of all registered pharmacists in the country has been scheduled to hold from November 7 through 12, 2016 in Minna, Niger State according to reports posted on the associations website PSN Conference National Development. Pharmaceutical Industry Contribution to National Development We congratulate the PSN leadership for anchoring the 2016 edition of the conference on the theme: Pharmaceutical Industry Contribution to National Development. The conference theme carries patriotic flavour and could not have come at a more auspicious moment than now - that the economy of Nigeria is fast heading south. There is no doubt that the pharma industry occupies a pride of place in any nation because

Sep82016 by PharmaTimes1 Comment

NAFDAC and the War on Counterfeit Drugs

Amazing Health Discoveries, Editorial Opinion, Food And Nutrition, Health & Life, Health Issues, Latest Health News, NEWS

The Fight Against Counterfeit Drugs: Nafdac The immediate past director-general of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Dr. Paul Orhii had prior to his exit from office been widely quoted as advocating for the enactment of new legislation to enable the agency cope with the present realities on the dynamics of war on counterfeit medicines among other challenges confronting it. The former NAFDAC helmsman had hinged his call for a revision of the laws on the noticeable defects in the existing ones to enhance efforts of the agency to rid the country of unscrupulous elements. We support Orhii’s advocacy because it borders on strengthening the operations of an important agency of government whose activities have direct consequence on the lives of the greatest majori

Jul272016 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

The Danger of Cough Syrup Abuse

Editorial Opinion, NEWS

The spectre of cough syrup abuse among the youth in some parts of Nigeria as widely reported in the media calls for urgent attention from government and authorities in the health sector to halt the development before it destroys the future leaders of this nation. The high demand for cough syrups containing opiate substances may not necessarily imply that cough epidemic is prevalent in the country. These medications are moving fast because drug addicts have discovered them as ‘’legitimate’’ alternative to hard drugs like cannabis, cocaine, heroin among others. According to reports, school children at both secondary and tertiary levels including girls have taken to abuse of cough syrup for euphoric purposes. In fact, we gathered that these school children usually mix opiate-containing c

Jul112016 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Supporting the Review of Counterfeit Drug Law

Editorial Opinion

Editorial - The House of Representatives have reportedly set in motion the process of amending the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act Cap C 34 laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004, to give more legal teeth to it. The new Bill which has already passed through the second reading according to reports seeks to achieve a prescription of life imprisonment with an option of N10 Million for importers of fake drugs; Seven-year jail term and an option of N500, 000.00 for dealers and their accomplices; forfeiture of drugs seized to government and compensation to relatives of victims. We totally agree with the Honourable members of the House of Representatives on the need for a review of this law because the existing one seems to lack

Jun202016 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Repositioning the Health Sector for Effective Service Delivery

Editorial Opinion

President Muhammadu Buhari recently declared his administration’s intention to invest in programmes that would improve the capacity of all cadres of health workers to be able to provide quality healthcare services in the country. The President also assured that the Federal Government would review all previous agreements as a result of the welfare agitation by different groups of health workers and take reasonable decisions that would not impinge on the right of workers. Speaking in Sokoto during the National Annual General Conference and Delegates Meeting of the Nigeria Medical Association, the umbrella body of Nigerian doctors, he also decried the incessant intra-professional crisis in the health sector. We wholeheartedly support Mr. President’s intentions because they are capable of lif

May162016 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Tapping Into President Buhari’s Visit To China

Editorial Opinion

The recent visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to the Republic of China deserves commendation from Nigerians because of the obvious diverse benefits accruable to the country on account of that strategic move by the incumbent administration. Apart from infrastructural development, rehabilitation of our ailing transport system, revitalisation of the agriculture sector which the trip seemed to have focused on, the policy of currency swap being entered into by both countries has the capacity of boosting trade and commerce relations much faster between Nigeria and China than the other agreements reached during the visit. Interestingly, both countries had prior to the recent bilateral agreements been enjoying robust business relations, but the new policy would not only deepen the existing ...

Apr72016 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Editorial – Substance Abuse and Criminality among the Youth

Editorial Opinion

The level of criminal activities in the country may seem ordinary just because the society seems to have settled down with it, but this is not to be accepted. Suffice it to say that many underlying factors can be contributory to this rising trend, studies have shown that apart from poverty and illiteracy, substance abuse remains a major influence leading to criminal activities of various sorts including even juvenile delinquency and hooliganism, etc. The reality on ground paints a sorry picture of what the society is up against and there is no need to waste more time. Sometime ago a specialist at the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Education and Rehabilitation Unit of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Kaduna, Dr. Ebiti Williams gave this illustration: For instance, over 6million bottles...