From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The Chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, (PSN), Kogi state chapter, Dr Lawal Muhammed said Over 50 illegal medicines stores have been shut down by the association in Kogi State.
The chairman disclosed this on Tuesday while speaking on Grace FM radio on the 2022 International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
Dr Muhammed decried the high circulation of hard and sub-standard drugs in the State by quack medicine store owners which will pose a great danger to the already fragile security State of the Country if not checked.
He said recent findings by the association revealed that school drop out, individuals who lost their jobs from different fields are now in drug businesses in Kogi State, just as they now see the sale of drugs as a way of making quick money.
“Drug are there to render health care service and must be handled by professionals who have indebt knowledge about it “.
The Pharmacist also lamented that patent medical dealers had failed to stuck drugs in line with the acceptable guidelines in the Country, adding “Drugs are being made available, easily, especially the controlled drugs.”
Muhammed said “They have their guidelines. There are categories of drugs they are supposed to store, but because of the quest of making quick money, you will see them storing all manners of drugs. When the regulatory agency begin to clamp down on them, they will start coming out with sentiment that we are witch hunting them.”
“It is not every individual that is licensed to handle all kinds of drugs. We have drugs for Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary health care services which are not meant to be handled by a School certificate holder, or somebody who just lost his job or a road side seller”.
“They are supposed to be handled by professionals because we have safety issues around this drugs.” He added.
He specifically fingered importers and drug manufacturers for this growing trend of drug abuse , adding that, the target given to their company representatives have strengthen the menace of drug abuse in the Country.
He identified drug distribution as one of the problems negating the fight against drug abuse in Nigeria adding that, many drugs have been sold to un-authorised medicine store outlet in the Country.
According to him, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery could be traced to illicit drug use.
He, however, called on the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), Nigeria Police, Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, (PCN), National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, (NAFDAC) and security agencies to intensifies efforts towards check- mating this menace of drug abuse in the society.
