Dr
Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Senate President, has expressed readiness of the Red
Chamber to look into the amendment of NDLEA Act to curb the prevalence of drug
abuse a
Saraki
spoke when Pharm Ahmed Yakasai, President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria
(PSN) and some delegates of his society paid him a courtesy call to discuss the
recurring menace of drug abuse and misuse in the country.
Saraki
promised that a Motion would be raised the following day on the floor of the
Senate to adopt measures in ensuring that the trend is halted in the interest
of the people and the society.
At
the plenary of the Senate, the Motion was listed as promised on the Order Paper
and debated on the floor of the Upper Chamber during which the following
resolutions were reached.
First
is to mandate its Joint Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and health to investigate
the growing menace of cough and other prescriptive drugs abuse.
Second
is to urge the Federal Government to partner with stakeholders, traditional
rulers, Pharmacists councils, NGOs to create framework in fighting the
aforementioned category of drug abuse.
The
third one is to urge National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and
Control (NAFDAC) to embark on a vigorous sensitization campaign on
the dangers of drug abuse and steps on achieving a successful rehabilitation
for people with the addiction.
While
praying for the Senate to amend the NDLEA Act to accommodate a new directorate
of consumer protection, Yakasai, had earlier during the visit requested for it
to be headed by a registered pharmacist.
According
to Yakasai, the step will stem the unprecedented toll which drug misuse and
abuse are having on health consumers in the country.
The
PSN boss further said that the proposed directorate should be empowered to
coordinate health advocacy, monitoring and control of narcotics as well as
other medicines with abuse and misuse potentials in the country.
Yakasai
added that the amendment of the NDLEA Act would be best pursued on the template
of a private member’s bill which he assured would have the maximum support of
the PSN.
He
stressed; “We must not fail to utilise this discourse to request for the cooperation
of Your Excellency to facilitate the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) Act
amendment bill which is championed by the Nigeria Law Reform Commission which
is currently pending before the House of Representatives Committee on Health.”
According
to him, the envisaged PCN bill was well grounded in law to boost the
inspectorate activities of PCN which have statutory powers to regulate and
control all pharmaceutical premises in both public and private sectors.
The
mandate, he added, also gives PCN latitude to modulate the activities of Patent
Medicine Dealers in the country.
“We
further recommend rehabilitation of persons that are addicted to drug by the
Federal Government,” the PSN President said.
The
group further admonished the National Assembly (NA) to continue to be wary of
attempts by some stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector who continue to
sponsor bills geared towards attaining autonomy as practitioners when the level
of their training confers only a sub-professional cadre at best.
“If
such moves are allowed to succeed, the National Assembly might only make
consumers of health more susceptible and vulnerable to the services of
half-baked practitioners,” Yakasai warned.
He
urged the National Assembly to ensure that the Executive arm of the three
principal health agencies constitutes the governing council and boards of the
plethora of professional bodies, Federal Health Institutions (FHI) as well as
key parastatals of the sector.
He
said; “We strongly urge the National Assembly to ensure that the Executive arm
to constitute the governing council and boards of the plethora of agencies,
Federal Health Institutions as well as key parastatals of the health sector.
“This
is particularly germane to an effective execution of the statutory mandate of
the three principal agencies of the Federal Government involved in drug
distribution endeavours in Nigeria,” Yakasai stressed.
“For
the records, the three principal agencies of the Federal Government are
Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), National Agency for Food and Drug
Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and NDLEA.
“The
PSN wishes Your Excellency an uncommon success story as you continue to
initiate beneficial Acts of Parliament for the good of the Nigerian people,”
Yakasai added.
