Pharmacists urge FG to dismantle open drug markets nationwide

                                                  
As Nigerians yesterday joined the rest of the world to mark World Pharmacists Day 2015, community pharmacists have called on the Federal Government to dismantle open drug markets across the federation in order to check incidences of fake and substandard drugs in the country.

Members of the Lagos State branch of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, ACPN who made the call posited that such drastic action against illegal markets would present a conducive environment for licensed professionals and enhance health security.

Speaking in Lagos, Chairman, ACPN Lagos, Biola Paul-Ozieh, said that the illegal operators were still a major impediment to activities of community pharmacists that are most central to health care delivery in the country.

She explained that though the pharmaceutical sector has come a long way with giant leaps too, the challenges linger.

“One aberration in our system is that we still have open drug market all over and that is promoting counterfeiting, faking and dumping of foreign products,” she said, adding “that why we are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to make the practice-environment suitable for the pharmacists to practice in Nigeria.

When we don’t have open drug markets again, when people know where they can collect their drugs from registered places, when drugs are used as drugs, when they are distributed as medical products and handed over by the health professionals, then our health outcomes will improve.”