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Jan92019 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Time to Equip NAFDAC

The Director General of National Agency for Foods and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye made a shocking revelation recently in Lagos when she said that 80 percent of her agency’s equipment is not working. Interestingly, she made the revelation while receiving members of the Senate Committee on Health who were in Lagos on a fact finding mission of state of affairs of federal health institutions located in Lagos state. The NAFDAC boss also used the opportunity of the occasion to inform her guests that the last time officials of the World Health Organisation visited NAFDAC Laboratory in Yaba, Lagos, the agency was scored zero by the global health watchdog. Prof. Adeyeye’s revelation is commendable and indicates that her administration is prepared to take the agency

Nov12018 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Adherence to Professional Ethics, Panacea to Qualitative Healthcare in Nigeria

Editorial Opinion, NEWS

The need for observance of ethical practices by healthcare professionals in Nigeria dominated discussions by experts during the 2018 edition of the World Pharmacists Day celebrations that held in Lagos recently. Various speakers who spoke on the theme, ‘Pharmacists: Your Medicine Experts’, identified unethical practices as one of the reasons why the nation’s health sector continues to falter after 58 years of Nigeria’s independence. President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, who was among the speakers, alerted the nation at the occasion when he said that professionals in health have crossed their legitimate sphere of practice by taking responsibilities that are outside of their core training. He wondered why healthcare professionals without training

Sep112018 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

NMA/ JOHESU Conflict: A Feverish Anticipation for Peace and Harmony

Editorial Opinion, NEWS

The recent indefinite nationwide strike embarked on in April by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has had its fair share of influence on the nation’s healthcare system. In the course of the unfolding events, it was suggested by some Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) state chapters that JOHESU was engaging in acts of sabotage in their health institutions. On the other hand, JOHESU members accused the medical doctors of deliberately scuttling the implementation of agreement the federal government had earlier entered with its members, including upward review of CONHESS. Over the years health watchers have observed the inner wrangling and somewhat mutual distrust going on in the health sector – from federal to the states levels. It has been no love lost between the medical doctors and

Aug82018 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Aftermath of ACPN Elections: Time to Forge Ahead

Editorial Opinion, NEWS

The 37th annual national conference of ACPN ended recently in Benin, the Edo State capital with the election of new leaders who are to preside over the affairs of the body of community pharmacists in the next 3 years. In the keenly contested election, Pharm. Samuel Oluwaoromipin Adekola, former national vice chairman and community pharmacist from Akure, Ondo State polled a total of 292 votes to edge out his closest rival and community pharmacist from Rivers State, Pharm. Chima Ogbu who polled a total of 288 votes. In a post-election statement Pharm. Ogbu had cried foul, alleging that he was denied victory by what he described as ‘official conspiracy’. Whatever that statement signifies, the allegation is weighty and should not be swept under the carpet by the Adekola led-administration in

Aug82018 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Time to Declare Emergency in Healthcare Sector

Editorial Opinion, NEWS

President Muhammadu Buhari recently hinted that his administration is considering upward review of budgetary allocations to the health sector in order to enhance the quality and access to medical facilities across the country. The president reportedly made the disclosure while receiving in audience the new leadership of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), recently at the state house, Abuja. The urgency of more funding for the health sector is presently underlined by the unprecedented level of deterioration of the sector in all fronts: inadequacy of medical facilities, 35,000 medical doctors attending to over 180 million people, brain drain, absence of modern equipment, high cost of drugs, high morbidity and mortality rates among numerous other challenges facing the healthcare system in Ni...

May142018 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Extended GAVI Support Not Reason To Rest on Our Oars

Editorial Opinion, NEWS

Since 2002 Nigeria has been receiving intervention assistance from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (GAVI). And as the government strives to overcome regional inequities in vaccine access to save children’s lives and protect people’s health, a number of constraining factors have been the bane of the exercise so far, especially funding. Just recently, it was in the news that Nigeria will not yet graduate from the GAVI Alliance intervention funds until at least ten years from now. This is due to the extension of the ‘expiration term’ of Nigeria so as to enable the country get ready for proper take over. The information that was made public by the honourable Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole was coming at a time the nation is battling to cope with how to bring to an e

Apr102018 by PharmaTimes1 Comment

NHIS Funds: Universal Health Coverage, Public Malfeasance and the Rest of Us

Editorial Opinion, NEWS

In June of 2017 news came filtering in regarding the suspension of the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof Usman Yusuf, and the investigations that followed bore strong allegations of gross misconduct and fraud to the tune of N919m. Subsequently, the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole suspended the NHIS boss while investigations by EFCC and ICPC were underway. The Minister’s own panel set up to investigate the said allegations found Yusuf guilty of nepotism and theft of public funds – leading to his suspension together with eight other top officials of the NHIS. From statements coming from official quarters, obviously a lot of malfeasance has for long been going on in that agency under the federal ministry of health, in that there had been a h

Mar132018 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Drug Abuse: Need For Community Pharmacists to Complement NAFDAC’s Activities

Editorial Opinion, NEWS

It will be stating the obvious to say that drug abuse has attained a new and higher dimension in Nigeria. But recent efforts and achievements of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) clearly testify to the fact of the enormity of the problems on our hands, as well as the agency’s unalloyed resolve to substantially curb this menace. Just recently, among other achievements, and actions carried out by the agency, was the confiscation and destruction of expired drugs, food, cosmetics, as well as expired drinks worth N80 million. Within the same period the agency also in a related development confiscated two truckloads of tramadol - a drug used to treat moderate to moderately severe pain. It is pertinent to note that this ‘simple’ medicine works in a manner

Feb142018 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

The Expediency of Local Drug and Vaccine Production

Editorial Opinion, NEWS

Making adequate healthcare available to Nigerians is a major challenge just as almost two-thirds of the population exists below the poverty level. Part of the general objectives of medicine availability as espoused by the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) in its last annual conference held in Umuahia, Abia State, is basically to increase locally manufactured medicines. Furthermore, the body of pharmacists aims to achieve about 70 percent local production as against the current 40 per cent of total medicines consumed in Nigeria – working in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Health. And this ought to be the spirit. Sometime ago when Nigeria had a Cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM) outbreak in March last year, we had to wait for vaccines to be supplied from overseas while 282 people

Jan102018 by PharmaTimes1 Comment

Fake Teva Amlodipine and Lisinopril Resurfaces In Nigeria

Editorial Opinion, NEWS

•As new NAFDAC DG Promises Hell for Promoters of Counterfeit Medicines There are strong indications that fake Teva Amlodipine and Lisinopril anti-hypertensive medicines have resurfaced in drug markets across the country and this is coming as the new director- general of NAFDAC is sending a strong warning to promoters of counterfeit medicines to desist from their criminal activities or face the consequences. The circulation of fake versions of Teva Amlodipine and Lisinopril became subject of media headlines late 2016 when the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) officials, apparently acting on a tip-off, paid unscheduled visit to a drug market in Lagos and consequently, sealed about 5 shops in connection with un-registered Teva products. The Lagos visit by

Jan102018 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Nigeria Pharma Industry: Time to Harvest a Ripe Opportunity

Editorial Opinion, NEWS

It is no longer news perhaps that the worth of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry is a paltry estimate of about $1.3bn - accounting for less than 0.25 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). At least this much was allualded to by Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), at the recently held 90th Annual Conference of the Society in Umuahia, Abia State, last November. This is a rather disturbing picture of a nation as richly endowed as Nigeria, on the premise that Nigeria, assuming the part of a leading light, has as much as over 150 pharmaceutical manufacturers registered! But the country, nay West Africa, and indeed the entire continent are ripe for harvest, and we do not seem to be awake to that great opportunity that beckons. Nigeria therefore nee

Nov62017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

As Pharmacists Pre-Registration Exam Begins

Editorial Opinion, NEWS

The bi-annual pre-registration examination for fresh graduate pharmacists intending to apply for full registration with the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria began in Nigeria last October. The commencement of the programme has however put paid to speculations that it may not hold after all. Historically, the introduction of pre-registration examination was adopted in PCN’s Pharmacy Education Conference in 2001, and it is meant for fresh pharmacy graduates who have completed the twelve-month mandatory internship prior to seeking full registration to practice pharmacy in Nigeria. The examinations are to hold twice every year - March and October. The objective of the pre-registration examination according to PCN is to ascertain that those who have undertaken the internship programme have acqui

Oct62017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Malaria in Nigeria – Need to Check Mosquito Insecticide Resistance

Editorial Opinion, NEWS

The recent alarm raised by the Nigeria Medical Research (NIMR) over the discovery that many states in the country are on the verge of witnessing large scale deaths as a consequence of mosquitoes developing resistance to Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets ordinarily should call for concern among authorities in government. NIMR had on June 21, 2017, released a report which indicated that 18 out of the 36 states in the country may have been affected by this latest development. The states where the incidence has been confirmed include Lagos, Ogun and Niger States; these have the highest incidence of resistance cases. Others are Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Benue, Kwara, Nasarawa, Plateau, Anambra, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Osun and Oyo - with the status of the remaining states on th...

Sep192017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Pharm. Egbulugha: Before the Stain Endures

Editorial Opinion, NEWS

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

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