Academy of Pharmacy Urges Govt to Retain Drugs on Exclusive List

• Honours NAFDAC DG, VC Chrisland University

Martins Ifijeh

The Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAP) has called for the retention of Medicines on the Exclusive List, advising that it would be counter-productive and exceedingly damaging to Nigeria if medicines were moved to the Concurrent List as being advocated by some.

The call was made at a special reception in honour of two distinguished fellows of the Academy, Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, and Vice Chancellor, Chrisland University, Prof. Chinedum Peace Babalola, for their outstanding achievements in the public service.

President, NAP, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi noted that “medicines are currently on the Exclusive List (item 21 of part 1 of the second schedule of the 1999 Constitution as amended) and though there appears to be an ill-advised move to remove it from this list to the Concurrent List, the Academy wishes to strongly advise that the health needs of Nigerians are best served by retaining medicines on the Exclusive list. This is particularly critical, if we are to avert a worsening of the chaos of drug distribution across Nigeria and the nightmare this poses for regulatory control.”
Adelusi-Adeluyi also bemoaned the current situation of drug misuse and abuse, warning that Nigeria had clearly transited from being a mere courier country to one in which young people now actively abuse drugs and hard substances.

Congratulating the NAFDAC DG on her auspicious appointment following her investiture as a Fellow of the Academy in September 2017, Adelusi-Adeluyi called on the government at different levels to help provide support especially with regards to legislation as well as enforcement, to enable NAFDAC deliver impeccably on its mandate.

“Research and academic excellence are also the major pillars of this Academy and we are elated by the recent appointment of yet another Fellow of the Academy to the position of VC of Chrisland University,” he enthused.
Speaking with reporters, NAFDAC DG expressed confidence that her Agency would not let the Academy and the country down while noting that its mandate is to safeguard the health of the country by ensuring that wholesome food, drugs and water are readily available to consumers by ensuring quality standards and preventing fake and substandard medical products from entering into the country, and also ensuring that illicit drugs don’t get to children.

On the menace of drug abuse, “curtailing drug abuse is everyone’s responsibility. However one essential measure in preventing abuse is making sure that access is cut off at the points of entry which is what we have been striving to do in spite of all the barriers. We have intercepted many containers of illegal substances as I speak. There must also be a communal approach to tackling the issue by propagating the right message that illicit drugs can damage the brain and ruin lives. Community and religious leaders must drive and champion this cause of fighting substance abuse,” Adeyeye urged.

It would be recalled that Prof. Adeyeye is the first African woman to bag the fellowship of American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) in the U.S. having served as the Founding Chair of the Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences at Roosevelt University, Illinois.

Vice Chancellor, Chrisland University, Abeokuta, Prof. Chinedum Babalola who has had a distinguished career as a drug development expert, researcher, teacher and mentor to undergraduates and young pharmacists expressed her joy at being recognised by her constituency.

“I am happy to be so honoured by the Academy. I am not a competitor in the world of men but I also want to achieve that which is made possible by my husband. It is my vision that the university would be the best in terms of pharmacy and medicine as a centre of excellence,’’ she said.

The event had the Senator representing Osun Central Senatorial District and Senate Chief Whip, Senator Prof. Olusola Adeyeye, General Secretary of the Academy, Prof. Fola Tayo, NAPharm Vice President, Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, CEO, Lefas Group, Lekan Asuni, Nnamdi Obi, chairman, Association of Pharmaceutical Importers of Nigeria (APIN), among others.