New pharmaceutical practice law to check quackery — PCN Registrar

Irked by the reports of dangerous practices injurious to people’s health, the Registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharm. Elijah Mohammed on Tuesday said a new law for pharmaceutical practice that would check quackery in the profession in the country would from April this year take effect. He disclosed this during the 9th Oath-Taking/Induction ceremony of pharmacy graduands from the Dora Akunyili College of Pharmacy, Igbinedion University, Okada (IUO) in Edo State where he said the government has taken note of the menace of quacks and is making everything possible to flush them out. The college graduated a total of one hundred and twenty-one (121) graduands in the 2018/2019 academic session.

He said, “By April, a new law for pharmacist practice will be in place. And for those individuals in the pharmaceutical landscape, we are going to catch up with them; we are going flush them out; we are going to catch up with them; those laws are going to catch up with them and by the time we start Implementing those laws, they just have to pack their things and look for another business to do.” He implored the graduands to be committed to the service of humanity and put their patient first rather than money, saying “you are going out there to make people well. “As you are going out, inasmuch you are going to make money, your major priority should be service to humanity; you are going out there to make people well; you are going there to bring  succors to people; you are going out there to make life meaningful for the people.” On his part, the Vice-Chancellor, Igbinedion University, Prof.  Lawrence Ezemonye, called on PCN to advance the course for digital innovation that would include electronic prescription, robotics for central presumption processing and nationwide monitoring for quacks and fake drugs in the profession. According to him, pharmacist occupies a very important position in the healthcare sector and plays a key role in patients’ management in the country hence the high demand for the profession in the sector. He said “The Pharmacist occupies a very important position in the hierarchy of healthcare administration in Nigeria, and plays a key role in patient therapy management – making them feel better and get well as quickly as possible. “The high demand for pharmacists in the healthcare sector is quite understandable and is hinged on the fact that pharmacists help to maximize health outcomes and prevent medication error.

“I call on the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria to advance the course for digital innovation in Pharmacy, to include but not limited to electronic prescription, robotics for central presumption, processing and nationwide monitoring for quacks and fake drugs”, he said. Keynote speaker at the induction, Prof. (Mrs.) Mbang Femi-Oyewo urged the graduands to add value to the profession to enable pharmacists more effective in service delivery to society.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/01/new-pharmaceutical-practice-law-to-check-quackery-pcn-registrar/