Rising drug prices: ‘Time to develop local herbs’, says Anaxon CEO

The Chief Executive Officer of Anaxon Wellness,a trado-medical facility committed to women’s health, Victor Ayoola has advised federal government to seize rising prices of drugs as an opportunity to perfect process for the development of herbal medicines and empowerment of traditional medical practitioners in the country.

This is as rising prices of drugs bite harder on Nigerians, with many unable to adjust to new prices being denied access to quality health services.

Experts has linked the about 300 percent rise in drug prices and scarcity to naira depreciation and exit of foreign pharmaceutical companies in the country.

To address this, Ayoola in a chat with the press in Lagos,recently stated that it was high time Nigerian government looked inward to grow local herbs, said to be as efficient as orthodox counterpart and cost friendly too.

He enlightened that herbal medicines have the advantaged of being sourced and manufactured locally, thus ruling out importation cost and custom duties that raise standard price.

He reiterated need for Nigerians to embrace local herbs that are approved by the regulatory bodies, stressing that orthodox drugs are made from root and herbs that are only transformed with technology.

Noting that the flight of medical doctor in the country has slightly boosted patronage for herbal medicines, Ayoola said government needs to do much to establish the sector such that their products are prescribed and sold in all pharmacies.

“While not disputing the fact that local operators are also affected by inflation pushing up prices of herbs, prices of traditional medicine are still quite reasonable compared to orthodox medicines. I think we should learn our lesson from present situation. Why do we have to pay exorbitantly for drugs when there are effective, yet cost friendly alternative right among us. This doesn’t make any economic sense”he said.

Ayoola who is a specialist in women’s fertility and reproductive health issues also advised Nigerians to embrace prevention to avert costly ailments this period, noting that prevention comes cheaper than treatment.

He tasked women on reproductive health hygiene as part of ways to prevent fertility issues.

“Endeavour to go for check- up every six month to ascertain your health status”, he submitted.