Paul Obi in Abuja

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

Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health,
Linus Awute stated this yesterday in Abuja, stressing
that, regulatory agencies like the Pharmacists Council
of Nigeria (PCN) and NAFDAC would on that date,
resume the exercise of their mandate to ensure full
compliance.

He said “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.

According to Awute, the chaotic drug distribution
posed 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.

It will be recalled that in order to address the ugly
situation, the federal government established the
Presidential Committee on Pharmaceutical Sector
Reform and charged it among others, to develop a
strategy towards the institutionalisation of a well
ordered drug distribution system.

Also, strategies adopted by the committee to achieve
this include the development of the National Drug
Distribution Guidelines in 2010 to provide guidance for
drug distribution, aimed at curtailing fictitious drugs
marketing.

Awute said: “The launch of the document in 2012
signaled the take-off of its implementation while the
deadline was for the establishment of State Drug
Distribution Centres (SDDCs) by the state governments
and Mega Drug Distribution Centres (MDDSs) by the
private sector was declared on 30th June, 2014.
“The deadline was however extended to 30th June
2015 to allow more time for the establishment of more
SDDCs and MDDCs.”

He explained that as the new deadline date has drown
near, it was imperative to remind stakeholder in the
pharmaceutical sector and Nigerians so that they will
commence the full implementation of the National
Drug Distribution Guidelines.

The permanent secretary maintained that state
governments are allowed to upgrade their medical
stores to the level of SDDCs where states like Jigawa,
Niger, and Ekiti had already commenced the
implementation of the guidelines while Kaduna, Kano,
Katsina and Anambra SDDCs are expected to for take-
off soon.

Awute added that other developed MDDs structures
are the Arsene Laboratory, World Wide Ventures and
the Onitsha Mega Drug Distribution Centre waiting
commissioning even as the Pharmaceutical Society of
Nigeria is supporting the establishment of ultra-
logistics company with on-going structures of the
MDDCs in the six geo-political zones of the country.



www.thisdaylive.com/articles/fg-to-shut-down-all-open-drug-markets-july-1/213204/

This is good..


Good morning y'all

At last!!
This will also help check drug abuse. Coedine and the likes will be restricted in its sales and supply.
Next move should be tp ensure that controlled drugs are sold by proper prescription

if this is true then its about time.....