28th October, 2016
The Niger government has called on owners of pharmacy shops (Non-Pharmacy Directors) and patent medicine dealers to stop dispensing drugs without prescriptions from medical practitioners.
Non-Pharmacy Directors are non professionals who engaged the services of Pharmacists in pharmacy premises.
Dr Mustapha Jibril, the State Commissioner for Health on Friday in Minna, said this would help to curb drug abuse.
“The availability of abused drugs in the open market is a major factor contributing to serious drug abuse in Niger state and other parts of the country.
“This is why we are calling on the stakeholders to stop dispensing drugs to people without prescription papers and documentation,’’ he said.
Jibril decried the level of drug abuse in the state especially among youth, adding that the measure would assists in tackling the menace.
He said that the government has inaugurated an agency to monitor drug distribution, safety and efficacy in the state.
The Commissioner advised stakeholders to allow Superintendent Pharmacists to carry out their professional services such as e-procurement, storage, dispensing and documentation of drugs in pharmacies.
He enjoined pharmacists to focus their practice on patient care rather than profit making.
Jibril said that only registered pharmacists are allowed to dispense controlled drugs, noting that “the pharmacists must fill a form known as form “K’’ in the process.’’
He called on pharmacists to report suspected dealers and consumers of fake and controlled drugs to the appropriate government agencies.
Also, Mr Isaac Odeyemi, Chairman Niger chapter of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria said “we will ensure that drugs don’t get into wrong hands that will end up abusing them’’.
Odeyemi said that the association would enforce the law of 200 meters gap between every pharmacy premises across the country from August 2017.