Sign Pharmacy bill, Buhari urged

By Mary Agidi
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The Ondo State chapter of the Association of Community Pharmacists in Nigeria joined their counterparts across Nigeria to appeal to President Muhammad Buhari to as a matter of urgency sign the Pharmacy Bill into law in order to fight and eradicate the infiltration of fake drugs in the country.

In a peaceful protest staged in Akure on yesterday by members of the association after ordering the closure of their pharmaceutical companies between 12-2pm, the pharmacists expressed their grievances about the proliferation of fake drugs in Nigerian’s society and called for quick response to safeguard the lives of Nigerians through immediate sign into the law the pharmacy Bill.

Speaking with Journalists, the State Secretary of the association, Mr. Olufemi Obateru said: ” What we are doing presently is happening across the country between 12-2pm; all pharmacy premises will be closed in order to actually highlights our grievances towards the non-signing of the Bill.

“We believe that as we are coming together to protest this bill, the government will hear us out because it is not an individual thing, it is a collective thing, and it is supposed to be for the benefits of the entire country. We have been on this since 2017, and we want this Bill to be signed into law.

He explained that if the Bill is signed into law, it will take care of the chaotic drugs distribution in the country, and wrong people won’t be in the position of selling drugs to the people.

Also speaking, the Public Relation officer of the Association, Mr. Adebola Lawan noted that the Bill has since been passed by the National Assembly, now awaiting the assent of the President.

According to him, signing the Pharmacy Bill into law will curb illicit drugs circulation, ensure proper distribution and guide against selling of drugs by non-professionals.

Other members of the association that expressed their dissatisfactions on how uncontrolled distribution of drugs by unprofessional pharmacists infiltrated the open market.