By Asma’u Ahmad
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has called for increased production of local content drugs to curb rising importation and circulation of fake drugs in the country.
Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, the President of PSN, made the call in an interview with newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.
Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai
He said the society had doubled its efforts to ensure that there was availability of local contents drug in the country, to see that drugs are accessible and affordable.
According to him, the increase on fake drugs can be attributed to the number of unchecked importations.
“We have been trying to have local content on ground; that way, patients will have accessible, affordable and quality products.
“Most of the fake products in circulation are coming from outside the country but if the country can produce its own drug it will lessen the burden of Nigerians.’’
He said that though the raw materials for drugs are sourced from outside, PSN would ensure that local contents were encouraged.
According to him, the society has been advocating enabling environment that will make them happy to produce at low cost.
“When the cost of production is high, competition will not be there and people will look toward importation,’’ he said.
According to the PSN president, prior to now, multinationals dominated the sector through importation, distribution, and later started manufacturing.
“In Nigeria, we keep on trying to promote local production whereby now we have almost 180 manufacturing outputs.
“About 120 manufacturing outputs are now registered with the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria,’’ Yakasai said.
