BY VICTORIA OJEME

ABUJA – The Federal Ministry of Health yesterday unveiled plans to increase the number of drugs on import prohibition list, as part of measures to grow the nation’s pharmaceutical industry.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr Linus Awute, who made this known when he received members of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, also called for improvements in standards so as to meet World Health Organisation, WHO, pre-qualification standards.

A statement by the Ministry’s Deputy Director, Press, Mrs Boade Akinola, quoted the Permanent Secretary as saying:   “As part of government’s support to local manufacturers, the Federal Ministry of Health is working on increasing the number of drugs on the prohibition list to include more products that the local industry has sufficient capacity to manufacture.”