By Kemi Olatunde

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Ondo State Ministry of Health has constituted and inaugurated a 20-man committee that will draft essential medicine list to serve as reference document to guide drugs that would be stocked and sold in the state.

Inaugurating the committee, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Pharm (Mrs) Folukemi Aladenola said the committee is critical to healthcare, adding that its outcome would inform the decision of healthcare workers in their workplace.

According to her, the list would limit the number of drugs deployed in the state health care system and will also create opportunity for the provision of concise, accurate and comprehensive information in the form of a National Drugs Formulatory on all drugs in the essential drug list.

She added that the list would also improve the knowledge of prescribers regarding the pharmalogical properties of the prescribed drugs and drug utilization by the various sector of the healthcare system through better monitoring which according to her will reduce the cost of care delivery.

The PermSec urged committee members to embrace teamwork while also appreciating APIN public Health for supporting the project in Ondo State.

The Chairman of the Committee, Dr Stephen Fagbemi while addressing members of the committee said the state government counts on their expertise in providing residents and the health sector right choices in terms of drugs

” What we are doing today is important which has to do with the national essential list. It is a national document which every state is supposed to look into, we are to contribute our expertise to come up with what will work for us in the state. A list that will be practical for Ondo State.

” The state has a Drug and Health Commodities Management Agency which is saddled with the responsibility of stocking up drug for the public facilities. Whatever drugs we decide on, the Agency will get it safely to help our people .

” Once the list is out, we will work with people that will be prescribing or selling them to make sure we all are on the same page”

Director, Pharmaceutical Services of the Ondo State Ministry of Health, Pharm Olugbenga Lasekan urged the committee members to defend the confidence reposed in them to come up with a list that is practicable and cost effective.

The representative of APIN Public Health, Pharm Raymond Echenime stressed that the list would contain medication considered to be most effective and safe to meet the most important needs in the healthcare system of the state and it would also serve as a good reference document for health practitioners in the state.