By FWENJI GO’AR
The Executive Secretary (ES) of the Plateau State Drugs and Medical Commodities Management Agency (DMCMA) has lauded the Federal Government’s directive for tertiary health facilities to resort to the conventional Drug Revolving Fund (DRF).
He was speaking at the premises of the office in Jos when members of the Plateau State Chapter of the National Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP), led by the Plateau State Chapter Chairman, Pharm Paul Nweke and his team, paid a courtesy visit to the DMCMA.
Pharm Paul Nweke said their role was dynamic and cannot be overemphasised, as they were the industrial arm of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, and are saddled with the responsibility of manufacturing, importation, distribution and the logistics management of pharmaceutical products in the nation and their role brings to bear the product aspect of the association.
Nweke described the DMCMA as the fulcrum of the pharmaceutical profession, and so the partnership with the DMCMA cannot be overemphasised.
He said, “Without DMCMA and affiliate bodies in other states, the job of NAIP members would be at stake and without NAIP, the job of the DMCMA will equally be at stake.”
He equally pledged the support of the association to the DMCMA, stressing that
the success of the DMCMA is also their success, just as if the DMCMA fails, it is equally a failure on their part.
In his response, Pharm Kim Bot thanked the team for the visit and appreciated the fact that a lot of things would revolve around NAIP and the DMCMA, describing them as major technical stakeholders.
Bot said, “We have the opportunity to be custodians of products, not just products, but products that would give life, ” pointing out that it comes with real responsibilities.
On the issue of the Drug Revolving Fund (DRF), the DMCMA Executive Secretary said that the federal government was resorting to the conventional DRF as it was before, adding that the Minister of Health, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, has already issued a directive to that effect.
He said as pharmacists, they have been trained to maintain standards and not to compromise, and to work within the borders of the ethics of the pharmacy practice.
