The Federal Government has Inaugurated Mr A.T Mora as the Chairman of the Governing council of the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria, PCN,despite the protest of the council members(Pharmacists) against the Choice of the FG,as the Council says A.T Mora has been suspended from been a member of the council.During the event, the government urged pharmacists to think of new ways of doing things as “a situation where the focus is on importation of finished products and compounding of raw materials is clearly not acceptable.”
A Press Statement issued on Wednesday by the Director (Information, Media and Public Relations) in the Ministry of Health, Olujimi Oyetomi, said the inauguration would provide guidance and direction for the efficient discharge of the functions of the council as stated in its enabling Act.
According to the director, the development of a national pharmaceutical plan for Nigeria, in collaboration with all major stakeholders, had started .
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, who inaugurated the board restated that the PCN was vital to the health care system as reflected in its functions of regulating training of pharmacist, pharmacy technicians and the practice of the profession.
The minister said, “Key issues that should engage the attention of this council include standard of training, code and ethics of practice, proliferation of illegal premises, unsatisfactory distribution of medicines and drug abuse.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to fore the vulnerability of the nation as it concerns medicines’ security. The inability of the nation to meet its needs of simple things such as face masks, surgical gloves, plaster, cotton bandage, and other related items must be addressed.
“It is therefore paramount that the profession of pharmacy in Nigeria immediately starts to think of new ways of doing things, a situation where the focus is on importation of finished products and compounding of raw materials is clearly not acceptable.
By Dung Donald Malou