Ukpo – As part of efforts at garnering stakeholders’ support towards the fight against fake and substandard drugs, the Executive council of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria {PSN} Anambra State chapter, on Thursday, visited the Assistant Inspector General of Police in-charge of the Zone-13, Anambra State, AIG Hafiz Mohammed Inuwa.
The executive committee of the group was led on the visit by the President, Pharmacist Josephat Obasi
In his address, Pharm Obasi explained that the visit was to identify with the new AIG and express their satisfaction over the manner in which the Zone had always carried on with its activities since inception.
He expressed their willingness to collaborate with the Zone in its mandate to save the society from falling victim of circulation of counterfeit drugs and other pharmaceutical products by non-licensed and illegitimate operators.
“In our bid to regulate the practice of distribution and dispensing of drugs as part of our functions, we face a lot of challenges from violators who may go to the extent of attacking the pharmaceutical regulators during or after inspections and enforcement. This has made our task risky and the achievement of our mandate unrealistic,” he lamented.
Obasi said the visit was also to seek the support of the Police to provide security during their enforcement activities as the menace of nefarious activities of the illegitimate operators was becoming uncontrollable.
“These drug peddlers and unlicensed drug manufacturers cause grave harm to our people. Unfortunately, as a group, we may have the backing of the law to go after them, but the risk our members face in achieving that mandate is way too much. And that is where the police comes in. that is why we seek your collaboration in our enforcement drive to rid the state of these people who do not have the fundamental education to do proper evaluation and give right judgement as regards drug production,” he appealed.
Responding, AIG Inuwa expressed appreciation to the group for their visit and assured them of the commitment of the 13th Zonal Command of the Nigeria Police Force towards arresting the menace of illicit drugs production and circulation in Anambra State.
He urged them to always call on the Zone anytime they wanted to carry out such enforcement programmes aimed at checkmating quackery in the profession.
The highpoint of the visit was the presentation of a plaque of honour to the AIG and other pharmaceutical products, by the group.
