FG To Lock Down All Open Drugs Market

The federal government will on July 1 commence the implementation of the National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDGs), in a move to ensure the organised drug distribution system in the country is strengthened.

Regulatory agencies like the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) and NAFDAC will therefore resume the exercise of their mandate to ensure full compliance on this day.

According to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health, Linus Awute, there is a need to put an end to the open drug market.

“We are hopeful that the existence of open drug markets in the country will be a thing of the past as the drug distribution system of the country has remained uncoordinated, chaotic and has resulted in the circulation of fake, adulterated, substandard and counterfeit drugs.”

Awute added that the chaotic drug distribution poses a very big challenge to the pharmaceutical sector in particular and the federal
government in general considering the negative impact the situation has on the entire health care delivery system of the country.