The Executive Secretary of Plateau State Drugs and Medical Commodities Management Agency (DMCA), Pharm. Fabian Agwo, has made a passionate appeal to the Judicial System of Nigeria, to drop some of its unnecessary litigation restricting the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) from regulating the indiscriminate spring up of non-certified pharmaceutical companies in the country.
He made the appeal recently, in an interview with THE NIGERIA STANDARD shortly after presenting a keynote address at the World Pharmaceutical Society Day Celebration as Guest Speaker, held in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
The Executive Secretary said, “You see the problem of these indiscriminate pharmaceutical companies and herbal vendors is affecting us nationally. If you go out of Nigeria to places like Cameroon, you cannot buy medicine freely unless with a prescription. But in Nigeria, you see medicines sold like peppers and tomatoes in the market.
“It is unfortunate that the legal system does not allow for strict control by the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria. The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) is a self-regulating organ. The government organ which is PCN regulates the practice and training of pharmacists.
“But by the time you go to the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria to file a complaint today, you will see the number of litigation restricting the Council from regulating some of these things. That is where the problem lies! So, if the judicial system will be fair to pharmacists and to the public, it will be better for us, because pharmacists are not doing it for themselves, but for the public”, he enthused.
According to the ES, “The law is so loose that people take advantage of the loopholes and capitalise on them. They get court injunctions against the PCN not to regulate them. That’s where the challenge is!”
Agwo, however, called on the judicial system to strike off these unnecessary cases that were not protecting the common man and allow the arm of government that is saddled with the responsibility of controlling medicine and pharmaceuticals to do their work of regulating to have safe environment that would deliver safe medicines for people to be protected.
It is on record that unregistered or non-certified companies including herbal vendors have taken the pharmaceutical space of our society these days and the majority of people have opted for cheaper medicines that do more harm than good.
