Fake Drugs Can Be Curtailed By Enforcing Existing Laws

Dr Chukwuemeka Azubuike is a lecturer in the Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharm. Tech. in the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Lagos. In this interview with GERALDINE AKUTU, he talks about drug counterfeiting, challenges facing pharmacy in Nigeria, and other issues. 

What is your view on counterfeit drugs and how can this be tackled?
Counterfeiting is a global challenge and not only localised in our country, however, the proportion here is higher. On closer study, you realise that there is a lot of improvement in recent years. Enforcing existing laws, and enacting additional laws on the control of drugs can drastically reduce the issue of fake drugs and counterfeit medicines. We should ensure that only qualified and registered personnel are allowed to deal in drugs.

Drugs should only be distributed and dispensed from duly registered premises. The distribution system of drugs should be monitored and adequately controlled by relevant agencies. Open market, street hawking and sale of drugs in passenger buses by unqualified hands should be prohibited by clear and adequate legislation and defaulters adequately punished.

Moreover, the local drug manufacturers should be adequately encouraged to produce most of the drugs we need rather than resorting to importation.
What are the challenges facing the practice of Pharmacy?

The challenges facing the practice of Pharmacy in Nigeria are many. They include erratic drug distribution and the inability or lack of political will by relevant authorities to enforce pharmacy laws, poor leadership, in house fights among health care providers, change in cultural values, corruptions, among others.

Moreover, the profession has become an all comers’ affair. It is no secret that many investors, who fail in other businesses often resort to drug selling. These have led to poor service delivery. These problems have been identified, analysed and endlessly discussed at various fora. Even more shocking is the failure of stakeholders to find and implement solutions to the problems.

Solutions to the challenges can only be achieved, when we have strong institutions which will bring about good governance, reduction in the level of corruption, review and implementations of pharmacy laws and above all the stakeholders in health services will put the wellbeing of the patient above other interests and work as a team.

What do you consider to be the most positive impact of Pharmacy profession?
Globally, the role of a pharmacist has been transformed from that of a dispenser of medications to a vital health care team member, who consults closely with patients with chronic diseases, offers medication adherence strategies, and broadens the profession’s influence overall. I can say that the pharmacy profession has grown and evolved over the years to become more inclusive of patients’ health care needs as a whole. We in Nigeria are not left out in this paradigm shift. Our curricula have continually been reviewed to catch up with the shift.

What are the most important attributes of a Pharmacist?
The World Health Organisation identified seven roles, (the “seven star pharmacist”), which should be considered essential, minimum common expectations of pharmacists by health care systems worldwide. A pharmacist is a caregiver, decision maker, communicator, leader, manager, life-long learner and teacher. The professional must possess specific knowledge, attitudes, skills and behaviours to equip him/her to perform these roles effectively.