The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has issued a stark warning, revealing that over two million unregistered pharmaceutical premises are operating in the country. This alarming number of unregistered locations dispensing and selling medicinal drugs poses a significant threat to public health and has turned Nigeria into a fertile ground for the production of fake and substandard drugs.
Professor Cyril Usifoh, the President of the PSN, called for stricter enforcement of pharmaceutical regulations to curb this menace. He highlighted that unregistered pharmaceutical premises do not adhere to safety and quality standards, jeopardizing the well-being of the public. While there are approximately 25,000 registered pharmacies and patent medicine shops in Nigeria, the overwhelming presence of over two million unregistered premises operates without regulatory oversight.
During a press conference in Lagos, Professor Usifoh expressed dissatisfaction with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), the regulatory authority responsible for curtailing these excesses and abuses. He pointed out that the PCN currently lacks a substantive registrar, a situation that needs to be addressed promptly.
The PSN president emphasized the need for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to receive guidance from the nation’s chief legal officer to tackle the challenges confronting the pharmaceutical sector. To combat the regulatory deficiencies within the industry, he urged the President to address the PCN’s funding shortfall and appoint a substantive registrar.
Professor Usifoh stressed that it’s not acceptable for the government to abandon its responsibility when the National Assembly and the PCN have already identified the problem. The poor funding and the Federal Government’s current involvement have resulted in physicians dispensing drugs in private hospitals and the prevalence of drug abuse and misuse, particularly among Nigerian youths and women.
According to existing laws, Section 9(1) of the PCN Act 2022 obligates the Federal Government to provide budgetary and extra-budgetary allocations to the PCN. With this in mind, it would be unlawful and illegal for the Budget Office to halt allocations to the PCN, given the essential role it plays in regulating the pharmaceutical sector.
The PSN’s revelation of the vast number of unregistered pharmaceutical premises operating in Nigeria underscores the urgent need for regulatory reforms and stronger enforcement to safeguard public health and combat the proliferation of fake and substandard drugs. Addressing the funding shortfall and appointing a substantive registrar for the PCN are crucial steps in rectifying the regulatory deficiencies within the industry.
