By Uthman Salami
The President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Mazi Samuel Iheayichukwu Ohuabunwa, has attributed the circulation of harmful drugs in Nigeria to porous borders as well as proliferation of open markets.
The president revealed this in an exclusive media interview with the Nigerian NewsDirect.
He stated that until concrete actions are taken to man up borders with other neighboring countries, It would remain difficult to nip illegal drug circulations in the bud.
According to him, “the people that bring these illicit drugs do not pass through the front door. And those who passed through the front door know how to settle the border keepers. But most of them come from the backdoor.”
He noted that if those carrying AK-47 could be allowed into the country unhindered, less should be said of harmful drugs.
He said, “Today, we cannot even stop illegal migration including those who are carrying AK-47. We were told that some of them came from Libya and we could not stop them. Is it the small packages of drug that we can stop? That’s our problem.”
He lamented that the only thing Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) could do in areas of controlling illicit drugs in the country is through motivating all the stakeholders in the industry including the regulators since PSC lacks enforcement power.
In his words, “As a professional body, we believe in regulations. We have been motivating our regulators, NAFDAC, NDLEA and other professional bodies that are responsible for regulation to be able to enforce the regulations.”
He said, “If immigration cannot stop people from somewhere entering our country with AK47, they can’t stop illicit drugs from entering our shores neither.”
He further added that “no matter how much power we wield, no matter how much we speak and advocate, since we do not have power of enforcement, it will come to nothing.”
He insisted that the PSC relied solely on the Police, NDLEA, NAFDAC, Immigration and other security bodies for proper enforcement, saying that “most of these drugs are carried by human beings.”
He said, “As a society, our job is to continue to speak, preach, advocate and also to advise our professional to make it more difficult for people to get some drugs that are usually used for normal healthcare management but the side effects have been abused like Codeine and Tramadol.
“They are used for treating normal illness though with side effects. But people have now turned it into their own major defect. That is why we are trying to restrict and control access to those drugs.
“In those days, anyone can walk into the pharmaceutical stores to get these drugs. But that is no longer obtainable as you will need a doctor’s prescription or the pharmacist has to certify that you’re truly in need before they could be sold to you.”
While bemoaning the uncontrolled circulations of harmful drugs in the proliferated open markets, he advised the government to convert them into “a properly regulated market so that they can know what goes in and out of the market,” rather than focusing on pharmacists.
He also clamoured for the National Drug Distribution guideline to accommodate those in the open market where they could work with professionals who will protect the public.
While reacting to the volatile security in Nigeria, Ohuabunwa said that there should be call for national dialogue where key stakeholders will sit to find lasting solutions to the menace.
On the role being being played by the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria in tackling COVID-19 pandemic, he said the Society in liaison with the Pharmaceutical Research and Development have geared up efforts to galvanize funding for local research.