The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria ( PSN) says Pharmacists are leaving the country in droves to seek greener pastures abroad.
Chairman of the Osun State Chapter of PSN , Professor Moses Akanmu said this on Sunday while speaking with journalists in Osogbo, the state capital.
Akanmu who spoke against the background of the World Pharmacist Day expressed concern over the brain drain in different fields of the society in the country.
According to him, Pharmacists now prefer to look for better jobs abroad than practice in Nigeria thus leaving a huge vacuum at the national, state and local government levels.
He called for the employment of more pharmacists to fill the vacancies left by those who have relocated, retired or died.
“Many pharmacists are leaving the country. Academic pharmacists, industrial pharmacists, hospital and administration and community pharmacists, people are leaving. In the teaching hospitals, state ministries, pharmacists are leaving.
“I want to use this medium to call for the employment of more pharmacists in the local government, hospital management boards and the ministry of health to replace those that have relocated, retired or died.
“The issue of fake drugs is of major concern to us. As a pharmacist, your patient is very important. If there is an error in any drug administered, that will create a big problem. That is why the issue of fake drugs is not acceptable in any society.
“Free Market is one of the problems that the government needs to tackle. The supply chain of drugs needs to be controlled. The government needs to come up with a policy and ensure it implementation. iWhen the policies are adequately implemented, anybody on the street can not say he wants to get controlled drugs.”
Professor Akanmu commended the National Agency for Food and Drug Administrative Control, NAFDAC, and the Pharmaceuticals Council of Nigeria for the war against fake drugs, insisting that fake drugs must be seriously fought by every member of society.
