Akeredolu Charges Pharmacists To Help Tackle Fake Drugs

Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has urged Nigerian pharmacists to tackle the menace of fake drugs in the country.

Akeredolu made the plea when the executive of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) paid him a courtesy visit on Monday in Akure.

“My worry is about pharmacists dispensing drugs in the country. It has remained the same over the years because they allow fake drugs to thrive.

“In some countries like the USA, Canada and UK, drugs can be traced to pharmaceutical outlets where they are bought so that at the end of the day if there is any problem, the source can be held responsible.

“Such outlets will not buy fake drugs and they determine what they buy,” he stated.

Akeredolu, however, commended the association for constituting a task force to tackle fake drugs, saying the state government would support this.

He also promised that his administration would address the shortage of pharmacists in the state’s health facilities.

The governor further a said that the state’s Contributory Health Scheme would provide access to quality healthcare services at affordable fees.

Earlier, Mr Samuel Adekola, the National Chairman of ACPN, had commended the state government for its health scheme.

Adekola described the scheme as easy and all-inclusive to implement in the country.

He added that the scheme would be sent to the National Health Insurance Scheme as a benchmark for other states.

Adekola, however, appealed to the state government to continue to support the association in fighting fake drugs.

The ACPN chairman also urged members of the public to only patronise registered pharmaceutical shops with ascribed logo.