By Doris Obinna
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has raised concerns over the unsettling pressing challenges in the pharmaceutical sector as it views it necessary to set the records straight, in line with international best practices, extant laws and regulations, policies and judicial pronouncements to that effect.
PSN said the challenges, including regulation of premises involved in the sale of veterinary drugs, welfare of public sector pharmacists and the various litigations involving the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) as regards the regulation of facilities engaged in the sale of veterinary medicines are yet to be addressed in the pharmaceutical sector.
In his valedictory address at the 97th annual conference holding in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, PSN president, Prof. Cyril Usifoh, stated that the regulating facilities engaged in the sale of veterinary medicines by the PCN was consistent with the PCN (Establishment) Act 2022 and the laws before it, the National Drug Policy, as well as judicial pronouncements.According to him, it is an important step to ensure that such facilities meet specific requirements of good pharmacy practice in relation to storage, handling, distribution, and dispensing, all of which are primary responsibilities of the pharmacy profession.
While it addresses the welfare of public sector pharmacists, Usifoh disclosed that the PSN, which continues to prioritize the interest of its members in the hospital and administrative sector, remains a major stakeholder in ensuring fairness, equity, and justice to all concerned in the health care sector.
“Permit me to salute the doggedness of our colleagues, our founding fathers of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), who have helped sustain its ideas, albeit vigorously, for over 10 years now. The conciliation meeting between JOHESU and the Federal Government team exactly one week ago reflected on some terms of the memorandum of understanding (MOU): “A specific memo to the President, Bola Tinubu, by Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to activate his promise to ensure the adjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) as was done for Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) was actualized through payment as per the estimate provided by the National Salaries and Wages Commission.
“Full implementation of the appointment of pharmacist consultants in all the 73 federal health institutions as well as warrant of payment of nine months’ salaries of workers, including pharmacists in 14 professional regulatory councils (PCN included), which was initially removed from the 2024 appropriation budget, have been issued among other issues.” Highlighting it milestones and landmarks, Usifoh said as of 2021, the enabling circulars for consultant cadre were already issued by both the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Health.“Also, we continue to collaborate with the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria on the accreditation of community pharmacies and collaborate with industry stakeholders to draw attention to the need to step up our drive to boost local drug manufacturing. This yielded fruits vis-a-vis the now famous Executive Order of the President on the pharmaceutical sector.
“Meanwhile, our strategy revolves around establishing and developing a holistic pharma workforce to stop the blackmail of those who imagine they do us a favour by teaching our students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. We are working on this through a Postgraduate College of Pharmacists, so that new-generation academic pharmacists will be grounded in clinical background.
“Again, the PSN sponsored bills at the National Assembly; we have shored up the asset base of the PSN and added a befitting national secretariat. We thank you for your march to new heights in the last three years, which will remain indelible in my personal diary and the pavements of the evolution of the PSN,” Usifoh said.
