Funmi Ogundare
President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Prof Cyril Usifoh, yesterday careworn the necessity for the nation to handle the problems of poverty, unemployment and others plaguing the Nigerian society, saying these points are affecting the pharmaceutical sector negatively resulting in the excessive value of medicine.
Usifoh, who was a visitor on The Morning Present on Come up Information Channel, expressed concern that many pharmaceutical industries are discovering it difficult to safe loans to energy their trade as required resulting from excessive value of manufacturing.
He expressed hope that buyers would come into the nation in order to kick-start manufacturing and be certain that the nation is self-sufficient.
“If we’re self-sufficient for as much as 60 or 70 per cent of our medicines, it will likely be an amazing objective to attain as a result of we’ve people who find themselves keen to assume on this path,” he stated.
He said that he met with the society’s previous president just lately to brainstorm, saying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ought to have a particular adviser on medication that can direct the course of how the investments might be completed.
“The federal government will certainly hearken to such recommendation and in that means, we are going to be sure that funding are appropriately directed to our wants within the nation,” he stated.
The president expressed concern about double taxation, saying for medication to be low cost, there’s have to decrease the taxes and provides incentives to producers and distributors of the medication.
“It’s not sufficient to fabricate these medication, but when they don’t get to the ultimate shoppers, it may very well be an issue,” Usifoh stated.
He expressed confidence that when the Society meets with the federal government to take a look at the alternatives and worth chain when the medication is produced and will get to the ultimate shoppers, it is going to allow them to stamp out the menace of pretend and counterfeit medication.
Usifoh advocated for a collaboration between the Pharmacy Council and NAFDAC to stamp out open drug sale.
On organising an API manufacturing facility and getting a mortgage, the president expressed confidence that if the federal government has the need to arrange the petrochemicals, there might be a big exporter of it overseas.
“Because of this I stated we need to see the manager order and laws. We need to contribute and inform the federal government what to do. I consider strongly that it will likely be a money-spinner for the nation. Most significantly, we should produce the petrochemicals that can allow us get our Energetic Pharmaceutical Components (APIs). That’s precisely what international locations like India and China did they usually import a few of their APIs,” he stated.
