ACPN Celebrates Breakthrough in Fake Drugs Control

The prevalence of fake and substandard medicines in the country would soon be a thing of the past following the introduction of key control mechanisms in the nation’s drug distribution system.
The immediate past National Chairman of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Mr. Adewale Oladigbolu, who disclosed this during his valedictory speech at the 43rd Annual International Scientific Conference of ACPN, said that the initiatives were part of the association’s development scheme including online Supply Chain Coordination System for the distribution of medicines in Nigeria.

While reeling out achievement of his regime, Oladgbolu explained that the programmes which were part of his administration’s agenda: ‘Achieving the Dream’, also included Community Pharmacy Expansion Scheme aimed at planting community pharmacies in every state, especially in under-served areas.
He further explained that the scheme was planned in the interest of those who live in areas without the services of community pharmacists and are in danger of substandard and fake medicines.

According to him, as of September 2021 close to 70 per cent of local government areas in Nigeria did not have a community pharmacy, but through his regime’s pragmatic effort, the statistics are changing.
He disclosed that Kano and Kwara states branches of the association have also commenced the setting up of pharmacies in under-served and under-privileged areas, adding that two states have benefited from the system and financial support from the national secretariat of ACPN.

According to him, the Clean Medicines Initiatives was aimed to revive the collapsed rational drug distribution system in Nigeria which has resulted in the creation of online supply chain coordination for the distribution of medicines in the country (www.phamart.ng). “Essentially this offers transparency and clean distribution of medicines in Nigeria with avoidance of substandard and fake medicines.

He announced the inauguration of the first Pharm-Care Centre in the country recently in Afijio LGA of in Oyo State, adding that “with the strong support of Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), ACPN secured a memorandum of partnership with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency in 2021.

“This MoU saw to the administration of over 76,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in 256 community pharmacies that continuously offer vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. I remain very proud of this laudable achievement, the very first involvement of community pharmacists in vaccination that has the federal government of Nigeria recognition,’’ he said.