PSN Urges Buhari to Sign Pharmacy Act into Law to Stem Influx of Fake Drugs

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The National President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Mr. Sam Ohuabunwa, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Pharmacy Act that had long been passed by the National Assembly into law so as to stem down the influx of fake drugs in the country.

He said the delay in the signing of the Act into law by Buhari has continued to aid the influx of fake and hard drugs into the country.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin, Kwara State capital recently, during his official visit to the state branch of the PSN led by the National President, PSN, Mr. Bakau Ali said that, “If the president sign this act into law now, it will be an end to the activities of the fake producers of drugs in Nigeria because our society will have opportunities to control, administer, manage and produce drugs in the country.

“I want to say that we are going to rewrite the bill to the National Assembly so as to intimate them on the need to advise President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently sign it into law for the good of common man in the country.

“It is disheartening to note that many Nigerians have fallen victims of fake drugs and this is not good for the effective healthcare delivery in the country.”

Ohunabunwa added that the issue of fake drugs, among others have been at highest ebb in the country, adding that, “we should continue to do our oversight functions and this has given chance to fake drugs producers to take a center space in doing their illicit act.

“That is why we are now determined to take oversight functions seriously, so as to see to the control, administration, distribution and management of all forms of drugs coming into the Nigerian market.

“Apart from this, we want to make sure that for every pharmaceutical drug that is consumed by Nigerians, it is the role of the pharmacy to ensure that such drugs are not only effective, but are safe”.

While lauding the efforts of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and current enlightenment of various pharmaceutical companies, Ohuabunwa said the rising cases of fake drugs have reduced drastically in the country.

He therefore called for more patronage of local manufacturing pharmacy companies to discourage importation of drugs into the country.