By Chioma Obinna

President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, Ayuba Ibrahim Tanko has called for immediate government intervention to address critical issues hindering the advancement of pharmaceutical practice and public health in Nigeria.

Tanko who traced two key areas including the delayed implementation of the Consultant Cadre for Pharmacists and the urgent reconstitution of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) made the call during his inauguration ceremony and the investiture of new fellows the Society.

Tanko expressed deep concern over the persistent frustration surrounding the implementation of the Consultant Cadre for Pharmacists, despite approvals from the National Council on Establishment (NCE) in 2011 and 2021, and subsequent circulars from the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation (OHSOF).

He said: “Today, the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation has given final establishment approval by creating vacancies for Consultant Pharmacists in the civil service comprising all the MDAs at Federal and State Government levels in late 2024.”

He lamented the inaction of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Federal Health Institutions (FHIs), accusing them of deliberately obstructing the process.

“It is regrettable that despite the immensity of the inherent benefits the Consultant Cadre offers the health system, it has become crystal clear that the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of the Federal Health Institutions (FHIs) are bent on frustrating the gains of this cadre.”

Tanko called on the FMoH to enforce its circular and sanction non-compliant FHIs, emphasising the need to uphold public service rules and prevent insubordination. He also criticized the slow adoption of the cadre by state governments, singling out Lagos State for its “worrisome” suspension of the approved circular.

Speaking on the alarming rise in fake drugs, Tanko stressed the crucial role of the PCN and NAFDAC in regulating drug distribution.
He noted that while NAFDAC’s board is fully constituted, the PCN remains without a governing council, hindering its ability to effectively carry out its statutory functions.

Tanko said: “The absence of a lawfully constituted PCN hinders full enforcement on pharmaceutical premises, accreditation of training facilities in the pharma sector, and the implementation of disciplinary activities.”

He emphasised the need for collaboration between the PCN and NAFDAC to manage the aftermath of the sealed Open Drug Markets (ODMs) and combat the “hydra-headed menace” of fake drugs, estimated to be a trillion-naira market.

“We solicit the approval of the Honourable Minister to immediately inaugurate the PCN to enable a full collaboration of the PCN and NAFDAC in the obvious necessity to tackle the hydra-headed menace the fake drug syndrome constitutes to consumers of health in Nigeria.”

Tanko reaffirmed the PSN’s commitment to upholding Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP) and safeguarding the health of Nigerians.