Chioma Umeha
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| L-R: former Chairman PSN, Lagos Branch. Pharm. Gbenga Olubowale, immediate past President of PSN, Ahmed Yakasai, CEO of Lefas Pharmaceuticals Pharm Lekan Asuni. |
The concept of drug safety has become a major
attention since the past decade because of the important roles it play in
patients’ health.
In view of this, there is growing concern among
experts on how to achieve drug safety in daily medical practice, particularly
with regard to approving new medication or questioning the possibility of
withdrawing a drug from the market.
This is particularly so in Nigeria and a major
reason Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, the immediate past President of the Pharmaceutical
Society of Nigeria (PSN) gave for unveiling safe medicine foundation (SFM),
weekend.
He stressed that his aim is to sustain the fight
against fake and falsified drugs in the country.
Elaborating on this at an occasion which was a
sendforth dinner organised for him by friends and associates in Lagos, Yakasai
said, “It really hurts to see fake or substandard and falsified products
circulating in our country maiming innocent citizens.”
The august ceremony also featured the launch of
Yakasai’s book, “The Power of Advocacy” which chronicled his achievements in
office as PSN President from 2015 to 2018.
DAILY INDEPENDENT investigations show that as the
President of the professional body, he undertook various initiatives aimed at
creating awareness about the prevalence of drug abuse especially among youths.
The former PSN boss therefore set up the
foundation alongside Dr. (Pharm) Ifeanyi Okechukwu and Dr. Chimezie Anyakora as
a “go-to resource that can help consumers, healthcare professionals, law
enforcement agencies, policy makers and the government navigate the increasing
complex and dangerous world of substandard and falsified medicines.”
Yakasai explained that the foundation would, among
others raise public awareness of the harms to consumer safety caused by
substandard and falsified fake medicines and advocate for policies and
programmes that will improve patient safety.
Yakasai said, “So together, let’s make a positive
impact and rescue our people and it can be you or me as a victim. Improving
safe access to essential medicines is crucial in tackling ill-health and
reducing infant and maternal mortality rate, which, sadly is very high in our
country.
“As we all know, essential medicines save lives
and improve health when they are available, affordable, of assured quality and
properly used. Hence, our citizens around the nooks and crannies of Nigeria
deserve access to safe, standard, efficacious and cost-effective medicines.”
“You can hear all that they are saying that I have
done a lot in health care sector, I really didn’t know, though, I used the
healthcare platform to unveil the Safe Medicine Foundation. It is a foundation
that I just founded to continue fighting fake drugs and drug abuse in our
country because it is threatening in our country, society and even our
individual health.”
Meanwhile, friends and associates of Yakasai seized the opportunity to celebrate his
positive impact and contribution to the growth of the society.
The occasion with theme, ‘Celebration of
Excellence,’ attracted the presence of major stakeholders in the health and
pharmaceutical sector.
It also provided opportunity for discussing on how
to achieve medicine security in Nigeria and win the war against counterfeit
medicines.
Dr. Fidelis Ayebae, Chairman of the event and
Managing Director/CEO of Fidson Healthcare PLC, hailed the initiative which he
said would be supported by all pharmaceutical stakeholders.
Contributing, Pharmacist Olumide Akintayo, former
PSN President, warned against self-medication especially in Nigeria where
people have unlimited access to medicines.
“This is a country where we have well over two,
three million premises where people sell medicines and probably less than
30,000 out-patient medicine stores,” he said.
“Ahmed certainly has made foot print in the sand
of time, he will certainly be numbered as one of the legends in the leadership
bracket of the society and it very significant that some of his friends and
associate have put this together,” Akintayo added.
Commenting, Olumuyiwa Odusote, a former Nigeria
Medical Association, Lagos Chapter, said, “Ibrahim has established a good
working relationship and we looking towards ensuring that we have lasting peace
in the health sector.
“We are also committed to ensuring that we return
to the good old days in the health sector where everybody is a brother and
sister to one another.”
Similarly, Remi Adeseun, said, “The first thing you will notice is that
Yakasai puts the profession ahead of himself and he ensures that all he did is
on the singular focus of lifting the profession and boosting the status of the
pharmaceutical industry.”
With various degree in pharmacy, research and
social media marketing from the Ahmadu Bello University, University of
Southford, Manchester, UK, Yakasai is an accomplished pharmacist and the
immediate past president of PSN from 2015 to 2018 and has served the country in various
capacity.
He is also an honorary Consul General of Pakistan
in Nigeria and now a ‘General’ of the Safe Medicine Foundation.
