By Ogenyi Ogenyi, Uyo
Community Pharmacists in Akwa Ibom have expressed worry at the high cost and over reliance on imports of medications and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) from China and India, despite the nation’s local capacity to produce.
They have also commended Governor Umo Eno for financing healthcare for the poor, and called for the strengthening of the Akwa Ibom State Health Insurance Agency.
This was part of the decisions in a communique reached at the 3rd Annual Scientific Conference of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) Akwa Ibom branch, held in Uyo.
The communique endorsed by it’s chairman, Pharmacist Tony Anderson decried the soaring cost of medications occasioned by a depressed economy and exacerbated by the rising cost of energy; leading to an attendant spike in the operating costs of pharmaceutical businesses.
This they said has “left in its wake the withdrawal of some multinational pharmaceutical companies from Nigeria, such as GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), collapse of local manufacturers, such as Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing Company in Onna, Akwa Ibom State and threats to the sustainability of community pharmacies.”
The Conference noted that this gap represents a “low hanging fruit” and urged the State government to adopt a sustainable model for local pharmaceutical manufacturing by expanding the ongoing Ibom-LED Entrepreneurship Accelerator Programme to support community pharmacies willing to venture into the production of pharmaceuticals and healthcare consumables.
“This will leverage on the existing business acumen of community pharmacies in business management, distribution, market penetration and extemporaneous production of pharmaceuticals.” It said.
The pharmacists “observed that at a misery index of 85%, the Nigerian economy is depressed and may lead to increase in drug smuggling and counterfeiting.”
Accordingly, they sued for the authentication of medicines, traceability, tamper-proof packaging, quality control, secure transportation, storage and monitoring, to ensure medicine security.
“Conference therefore called on the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno to consider the re-activation and funding of the Akwa Ibom State Counterfeit and Fake Drug Monitoring Committee as a public health emergency.
They highlighted the pivotal role played by Akwa Ibom State Community Pharmacists in providing primary healthcare services in the State, such as vaccination, family planning, health checks, health education and promotion, mental health services, drug information services and point of care testing.
They “expressed commitment in partnering with the government in tackling the menace of drug abuse among youths. The Anti-Drug Abuse School Competition (ADASC), organized by the Association of Community Pharmacists in Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State Chapter, is one of the innovative ways the Association has developed to nip drug abuse in the bud and give back to our communities.”
The community also “called on the Akwa Ibom State government, in line with her ARISE AGENDA, to support the ongoing public health awareness campaign of the Association, aimed at raising the health consciousness of Akwa Ibom residents by discussing vital health topics weekly across various electronic media.”
The statement made a case for the inclusion of a Pharmacist in the State Health Insurance Agency Board in view of,”the pivotal role of pharmaceutical services in healthcare, proven expertise of pharmacist in Health economics/Pharmacoeconomics and a groundswell of research that identifies cost of medications as a significant component of catastrophic health expenditure.”
