ACPN Renews Call for Passage of PCN Bill

• ACPN Renews Call for Passage of PCN Bill

The Association of Community Pharmacists has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to sign into law the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria bill in order to improve the regulation of pharmaceutical practice in Nigeria.

The National President of the association, Samuel Adekola, made the appeal at the opening ceremony of the 38th annual national conference of ACPN in Edo State.

Adekola explained that the bill was a veritable instrument that would assist in addressing the inadequacies in the value chain of drug distribution network.

According to him, the bill takes cognisance of global best practices by empowering the pharmacy workforce from primary care to tertiary care levels and helping to stem the tide of drug abuse and counterfeiting “because drug stocks will gradually become the prerogative of trained hands.”

Adekola added, “The value chain of the drug distribution network is in complete tatters particularly because of the unresolved challenges of fake drugs and drug abuse which continue to impose very substantial morbidity and mortality on consumers of health.

“The PCN bill remains a highly sought-after treasure that opens all doors of restriction that hitherto confined pharmacy practice to the back doors of monumental failure. We, therefore, seize this discourse, once again, to encourage His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, to give assent to the PCN bill in the ultimate public interest.”

Speaking further, he stated that the ACPN and other major blocs, as well as interest groups, had taken the lead in exposing the challenges of drug abuse and misuse in the last few months to encourage government at all levels and critical stakeholders to appreciate the intensity of the aberration that confronts Nigerians.