UPDATE FROM THE REGISTRY – SEPTEMBER 01, 2020

PCN/C.6016/VOL.1/51

September 01, 2020

Dear Colleagues

 UPDATE FROM THE REGISTRY

On behalf of the staff and management of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, I welcome you all into this month of September. I pray we will have cause to remember this month of September for good in Jesus name. As the easing of the national lockdown continues with the scheduled opening of international flights and Educational institutions in some states, I want to continue to implore Pharmacists especially in the hospital and community settings to continue to operate with a high level of personal protection. The structure and nature of your work continues to make you vulnerable, you must therefore ensure you prioritize your personal and personnel protection.

In line with the 4 point agenda laid out on my assumption office, one of which is to reposition the Registry for effective service delivery, I am glad to announce to you that the Registration and Licensing department has successfully migrated the registration of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors to an online platform similar to what applies to Pharmacists registration. This would help ensure more effective supervision and control of the activities of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors across the country.

In a bid to curb the illicit use of drugs among Nigerian youths and to drive up the Pharmacists share of voice in the National drug abuse discourse, the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria hosted 2 advocacy workshops in Bayelsa and Edo states. These very well attended workshops in Bayelsa central senatorial district and Edo central senatorial district states were organized in collaboration with the Executive Governor of Bayelsa state, Senator Diri Duoye and Senator Clifford Ordia FNSE respectively.

Following the inauguration of the PCN Governing Council on June 15, 2020, The Chairman of the PCN Governing Board, Prof. Ahmed Tijani Mora, mni, along with the Registrar, Pharm. N.A.E. Mohammed PhD, led a team of PCN Directors on a courtesy visit to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), headed by Mrs. Folashade Mejabi Yemi-Esan, on August 18, 2020. This is to strengthen a good working relationship and collaboration with the HCSF, for better performance on the PCN mandate.

The Registry is pleased to inform all Pharmacists colleagues that as promised in the June update from the registry, PCN Pharmacists ID Cards have been produced for Pharmacists who applied and got their annual license from the month of January to March 31, 2020. These Pharmacists are to go to their states of residence and collect their PCN Pharmacists ID card from their state office, free of charge.

In the month of August 2020, a total of 101 fresh graduate Pharmacists were inducted from University of Lagos, Lagos State. Join me to congratulate the new inductees in our noble profession. Interested participants should please note that the closing date for the registration of candidates for the 2020 Foreign Pharmacy Graduates Orientation Programme (FPGOP) has been extended to September 19, 2020. Consequently, the tentative date for the commencement of the online programme is September 28, 2020, while the accreditation/orientation (onsite) will start on October 19, 2020.

The registration for the month of October 2020 Pre-registration Examination for Pharmacists (PEP) is on-going. Prospective candidates are advised to ensure that they register online with their functional email address and phone number.

The PCN National Enforcement team visited Lagos and Kano State in the month of August. During the exercise in Lagos, 116 pharmacies and 152 patent medicine shops were sealed for operational misconduct, while 18 compliance directives were issued for other minor offences. Kano state enforcement exercise led to the sealing of 41 pharmacies and 639 Patent Medicine Shops were sealed, while 15 compliance directives were issued for the same reason.

In the PCN’s quest to ensure good pharmacy practice and the provision of quality pharmaceutical service to Nigerians, I wish to convey the following drug information obtained through the Federal Ministry of Health, to the Pharmacists and relevant stakeholders.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on the 5th of August, 2020 notified the public that Ferring Pharmaceuticals U.S. is voluntarily recalling all lots on the market of DDAVP^R Nasal Spray 10mcg/0.1mL, Desmopressin Acetate Nasal Spray 10mcg/0.1mL, and STIMATE^R Nasal Spray 1.5mg/mL.

DDAVP^R Nasal Spray and Desmopressin Acetate Nasal Spray are used as antidiuretic replacement therapy in the management of central cranial diabetes insipidus, temporary polyuria and polydipsia, following head trauma or surgery in the pituitary region. Stimate^R Nasal Spray is used for the treatment of patient with hemophilia A with Factor VIII coagulant activity levels greater than 5%, and for patients with mild to moderate classic von Willebrand’s disease (Type 1) with Factor VIII levels greater than 5%.

However, all these products are being recalled due to superpotency, as they contained an amount of desmopressin higher than specified, and the risks of this can lead to an abnormally low level of sodium in the blood (I.e., Hyponatremia) which could eventually lead to seizure, coma and death.

The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, therefore, strongly request all importers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and their customers, to check for these products and return them to National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), if in stock. Furthermore, Patient noted for any adverse drug reaction (ADR) should be reported accordingly using the ADR yellow-form to NAFDAC.

Once again, I wish to appreciate all the Pharmacists, for discharging effectively their professional responsibility at this challenging moment of COVID-19 pandemic, and trust that sooner than later the battle against this dreaded virus would be won conclusively.

Pharm Elijah Mohammed, PhD, FPSN, FNIM, FPCPharm, FNAPharm