BOF-PSN Urges FG to Salvage Pharmaceutical Industry

The Board of Fellows of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (BOF-PSN) has urged the Federal Government to intervene in the hike in prices of drugs in the country.

The group made this known at a press conference to announce its forthcoming mid-year meeting billed from June 26 to 27 be held in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

Suggesting measures to salvage the price hike, the fellows advised the FG to stop charging customs duty for pharmaceutical goods, work on foreign exchange, and urged medical doctors to prescribe drugs based on the economic reality.

The Chairman of the Board, Pharm Dr. Joel Adagadzu, lamented that Nigerians find it difficult to access quality medicines as a result of the hike in the prices.

“The country cannot be importing a hundred per cent of its active pharmaceutical raw materials and be paying all kinds of taxes and customs fees while operating under debilitating challenges and still be expected to produce affordable medicines,” he warned.

The chairman, however, proposed, “A national dialogue on local manufacture of essential medicines should be summoned by the government.

“The issues of access to medicines should feature as part of the regular conversation between the government and PSN stakeholders,” he added.

According to Adagadzu, the government should treat medicine security as an important and integral component of National Security and accord it its pride of place.

It is to set the tone for the government that the body has carved out the theme, “Access to Quality Medicines in an Unstable Environment” for its 6th public lecture.

At the conference, says the chairman, it will also draw attention to Medicines Security, noting that the choice of a former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi as the Guest Speaker is to ensure a discursive event that will provide lasting solutions to the current state of the nation.

He also added the Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo and the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe will headline the public lecture.