Community pharmacists in Akwa Ibom State have raised concerns over the increasing cost of medications in Nigeria, attributing it to the nation’s depressed economy and rising energy costs. They criticized the heavy reliance on medication imports from China and India, despite Nigeria’s capacity for local production.
In a communiqué issued at the end of their 3rd Annual Scientific Conference in Uyo, themed “Medicine Security in an Unstable Economy: The Role of Community Pharmacists,” the association highlighted the impact of the volatile economy and high energy costs on the pharmaceutical industry. They noted that multinational companies like GlaxoSmithKline have withdrawn from Nigeria, and local manufacturers such as Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing Company have collapsed, posing a threat to the sustainability of community pharmacies.
The pharmacists urged the Akwa Ibom State government to support local pharmaceutical manufacturing by expanding the Ibom-LED Entrepreneurship Accelerator Programme to include community pharmacies interested in producing pharmaceuticals and healthcare consumables.
They warned that the country’s economic situation, reflected in a misery index of 85%, could lead to increased drug smuggling and counterfeiting. To combat this, they called for measures to ensure medicine security, including authentication, traceability, tamper-proof packaging, quality control, secure transportation, and storage.
The association also appealed to Governor Umo Eno to reactivate and fund the Akwa Ibom State Counterfeit and Fake Drug Monitoring Committee as a public health emergency. They praised the governor’s efforts in financing healthcare for the poor and recommended strengthening the Akwa Ibom State Health Insurance Agency by including a pharmacist on its board.
Finally, the pharmacists urged the state government to support their ongoing public health awareness campaign, which aims to raise health consciousness among Akwa Ibom residents through weekly discussions on vital health topics across various electronic media.
