Pharmacists Urge Anambra House to Expedite Action on Drug Mgt Agency Bill

Pharmacists under the aegis of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) have called on the Anambra State House of Assembly to expedite the passage of the Drug Management Agency (DMA) Bill to boost the state’s healthcare delivery service, drug availability and quality assurance.

This is one of the highlights of the communique issued at the end of the National Executive Council (NEC) consultative meeting of ACPN held in Awka recently.

ACPN while commending Governor Charles Soludo for the giant strides in the development of pharmaceutical sector of the state economy; said the DMA Bill if passed into law would not only be a catalyst for effective drug distribution and control in the state but will also impact Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) potential of the state.

It said “Drug Management Agency (DMA) Act has worked very well under the leadership and direction of registered Pharmacists and Chief Executive Officers in the over 10 states of the federation where such structures are in place.’’

In the document signed by the National Chairman, Ambrose Ezeh, ACPN also applauded Governor Soludo his commitment to building the Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) at Oba “in fulfillment of the National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDG), which compels the relocation of the operators at the Onitsha Head Bridge market to Oba on completion of the project.

“We are impressed by the high speed of work at the site, and the quality of structures being put in place,’’ Ezeh said.

Soludo’s industrialisation initiatives in the state also received plaudits from the NEC, particularly the designation of a pharmaceutical manufacturing hub in Ogboji, where vast hectares of land have been dedicated to building a pharmaceutical industry.

This, according to ACPN “automatically activates the growth of industrialisation and related sector initiatives in Anambra State.’’

The pharmacists’ body expressed special appreciation to the governor for the appointment of two pharmacists into the State Executive Council, describing it as trail-braising in the country.

“We commend the appointment of Pharm. Pauly Onyeka as Commissioner for Housing, Pharm. (Dr.) Godwin Nnadozie as Special Adviser on Pharmaceuticals and Medicals.’’

ACPN also noted with gratitude the appointment of Chisom Uchem as the Chief Executive Officer of the Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHDA). It described Uchem as a high performer who has distinguished herself by projecting the ASPHDA as the best performing Primary Care Development Agency in the country.

Commenting further on the vintage place of pharmacists in the state’s public institutions, Ezeh also relished “the appointment of over 20 pharmacists at the state Ministry of Health at a time of visible paucity of pharmacists in the ministry and its appendages.’’

He assured the government of the capabilities of the pharmacists to contribute meaningfully to healthcare delivery in the state.