Pharmacists cautions govt over privatization of hospital drugs

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has called for the adoption of drug revolving fund schemes to meet the medicine needs of government clinics and hospitals. The apex body of professional pharmacists in Nigeria said it is not against public private partnership (PPP) in provision of drugs in government hospitals but such arrangement should be […]

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has called for the adoption of drug revolving fund schemes to meet the medicine needs of government clinics and hospitals.

The apex body of professional pharmacists in Nigeria said it is not against public private partnership (PPP) in provision of drugs in government hospitals but such arrangement should be crafted in ways that will benefit Nigerians.

National President of the society, Pharmacist Ahmed Yakasai said in a statement that attention of the PSN has been drawn to developments pertaining to Private Sector participation in public hospital pharmacy practice in some State Government owned pharmacy facilities.

The society said it believed very strongly that drugs remain the pivot upon which credible healthcare revolves and therefore, "drugs should not and must not be commercialized beyond a reasonable limit."

He recalled that all previous attempts by some State Governments and Federal Health Institutions to commercialise/privatise pharmacy facilities "ended in predictable doom" because the private profiteers utilized government goodwill to attract credit supplies from pharmaceutical companies.

"These huge credits were never paid for, forcing government to inevitably inherit debts from the profiteers and threats of being blacklisted by the companies", it said.

Yakasai added, "We at PSN will continue to stress the dire need for maximum collaboration between government at all levels and the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) which is a body corporate under the Federal Ministry of Health which has a specific duty to inspect and register all pharmacy facilities in both the public and private sector in Nigeria.

"The PSN as a professional body believes and supports the ideals of a Public Private Partnership once it is executed in tandem with due process as this ensures that fairness, equity and justice are dispensed to all concerned".