The Federal Government
has concluded the review of a national drug policy that will in turn lead to
the complete shutting down of the open drug markets in the country by year 2017
to check the menace of fake drugs.
The Registrar/Chief
Executive, Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, Mr. Elijah Mohammed, stated this
in an interview with Saturday Punch, on the sidelines of his end of year media
chat with journalists in Abuja. He said the review was carried through the
Federal Ministry of Health.
He also announced the
withdrawal of the practicing licences of three certified pharmacists and said
over 30 members are being investigated over alleged breach of professional code
of conduct. Continue...
“The checklist for
Patent and Proprietary Medicine Shops and Coordinated Wholesales Centres have
been well established and quality control mechanisms have been put in place.
“Those in the open
market are definitely going to be relocated, a two-year period term has been
put in place for construction of such facilities that will house PCN, NAFDAC,
the police and other related organisations and once those facilities are put in
place, definitely the open drug market will be closed down and we have
discussed this with stakeholders and they have all agreed on the timeframe.
“Let me assure Nigerians that in two years’
time, the idea of open drug market would be a thing of the past. When they are
relocated to the CWC, they will be highly regulated and any product coming in
must be certified by the PCN. So wherever there are open drugs will be shut
down, because that is the bedrock of most of the fake drugs we have in this
country,” Elijah Mohammed said.
Source: Punch
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