The Nigerian Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED) is 54 years this year! Given their age, knowledge of the association’s existence is very minimal yet; their role in the distribution of “Over the Counter” (OTC) drugs, especially in the rural areas in the country is very significant. In this interview with The Guardian, Prince Joel Odoh, the National President of NAPPMED, spoke on the very important role the association plays is ensuring the well-being of Nigerians mostly at the grassroots level where they are the first contact with the sick. He insists that members of his association do not engage in the distribution of fake, adulterated and expired drugs as widely believed. He also spoke on the grand plan the association has, to celebrate its 54th anniversary and hold their first ever National Summit, billed for Abuja from August 28 to 30, 2016. Excerpts:

What are the major roles your association is playing regarding healthcare delivery in Nigeria?

We are if I may say so, the first contact for majority of sick people at the grassroots level. This is because of our presence in the 774 local government areas in the country. Our members basically, provide OTC drugs to the sick. If, however, the need arises in situations where the ailment is above our capacity to handle, we refer patients to appropriate quarters. NAPPMED is grassroots based and this is our major strength. You can say that we are at the last chain of drugs distribution and this is a major role in healthcare delivery; a role acknowledged by major healthcare providers in the country.

You get to very remote places where there are no health centers, clinics or hospitals, but you find our members there dispensing OTC drugs to the inhabitants. We own what is known as Patent Medicine Stores.

Who are your members and what is your numerical Strength Nationally?

Members of NAPPMED are those properly registered and licensed to operate Patent Medicine Stores either by the various State Commissioners of Health or Officials of Health Departments in the local Government Council Areas. Our membership is over 650,000 nationally and we are still counting. We have health workers in various levels that are members by registration of their business.

Do your members include these hawking drugs on the streets, motor parks and in buses?

No! Those ones do not have our blessings and I do not think that they have any known association. What they are doing is completely illegal. Let me use this medium to disown them please. They do not belong to NAPPMED. You can only belong to NAPPMED when you have a business premises and it is properly registered and licensed to operate. It is the duty of the regulating and law enforcement agencies like National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), State Health Departments and the rest of them, to ensure that the drug hawkers are not allowed freedom to operate. Unfortunately, little or nothing has been done in this regard. As I said before, every genuine NAPPMED member is properly registered and licensed. Our members do not hawk drugs on the streets, motor parks and buses. Before a member is even licensed to operate, the environment and shop to be used for the sell of OTC drugs are usually inspected and certified fit by authorities. We have no hands in the distribution of fake drugs.

Is NAPPMED in any working relationship with any of the Regulating Agencies?

Yes. The NAFDAC is always with us. They hold workshops and seminars for our members from time to time and other times, we invite them to sensitize our members. Sometimes even, they take us unawares as they go to our members’ premises to ensure that NAPPMED Task Forces are working effectively. We are also willing to partner with other regulatory and enforcement agencies of government so long as such relationship is directed at making NAPPMED to be stronger and our members more law-abiding.

NAPPMED is 54 years this year as an association?

Yes. It was registered in 1962 by the agency known today as Corporate Affairs Commission.

In all these years, not much is known about the association despite the role it plays in the healthcare sector. Why?

Well, our major Stakeholders know us very well. Beside them, I agree with you that the public as an association knows not much about us. This is the main reason why we are planning to hold our NAPPMED day in August and our first national summit as an organisation. This will help in making Nigerians understand the commendable work being done by our members. Past leaders of the association may not have done so, but it is a new dawn for NAPPMED. The present executive thinks it is most appropriate to set a day aside to celebrate the association yearly and use the forum to talk to us. We have now seen reasons to celebrate ourselves and also let Nigerians know about the existence of our association.

What are your plans for the NAPPMED day celebration?

We are planning a three days event. First day will be for our mega rally at the Eagle Square where about 15,000 of our members drawn from 774 local government areas of the country shall gather in celebration. On the second and third days, we will retire to the International Conference Centre for our first National Summit. Here, 3,000 delegates will be in attendance. At both events, the Directors General of NAFDAC, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), NDLEA, Executive Secretaries of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), notable pharmaceutical manufacturers and other stakeholders will be in attendance. Our other sister organisations shall also be invited to share in our celebrations and deliberations.

I will use the opportunity of the rally to present my plans to our members. There will also be exhibitions, product launchings and presentations by pharmaceutical companies. Most of them are already getting involved. Importantly also, we hope to use the summit to re-orientate our members on best practices in doing business and the very strong need for them to keep-off fake and adulterated drugs.

This is a national event. States and chapels always hold meetings from time-to-time but this gathering being planned will bring all of us together here in Abuja.

How is your relationship with the federal Ministry of Health?

Thank you. It is very cordial. They have over the years, been supervising NAPPMED and our members want this to continue. It gives us credibility and puts our members in constant check.

What are your other plans for NAPPMED in the years ahead?

You know my mandate is for four years. Thankfully, I have an Executive Committee at the national level that is thinking positively like me. We all have the interest of the association at heart and so; it is easy to deliver positively.

My major priority is to bequeath a befitting National Headquarters to the association here in Abuja, which is our federal capital. Within my first three months in office, I have given the association a secretariat located in Kubwa. We shall improve on that. I also want to fully re-register our members and we have already started re-issuing certificates of membership to them. To get this, members are to be thoroughly screened, to ensure that they have basic knowledge of drug administration. We are also talking to micro-finance banks to explore how our members can access funds to expand their business scope.

My goal is to have my name and those of my executive, written in gold letters at the end of our tenure; let it be a common knowledge that we came, saw and left NAPPMED much better than we met it. That is my goal and together with my executive, we are pursuing it seriously. I say again, it is a new dawn for NAPPMED.