Posted by By AGAPTUS ANAELE on
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has begun moves to harmonize pharmaceutical policies among ECOWAS countries, a move that is aimed at improving patients' care in the region.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has begun moves to harmonize pharmaceutical policies among ECOWAS countries, a move that is aimed at improving patients' care in the region.
President of PSN Chief U.N.O Uwaga told Sunday Sun that the theme of its 76th annual general conference, which begins in Owerri tomorrow, is ‘Harmonizing Ecowas Pharmaceutical Care Policies: A Roap Map to Improving Patients Care'
Uwaga said: 'The theme is chosen to provide a forum for an appraisal of how policies of various governments in the West African Sub-region can be harmonized to improve patients care. The Chief Executive Foods and Drugs Board of Ghana, Mr. Emmanuel Agyarko will deliver the keynote address.
Uwaga who expressed worry over the high cost of drugs in Nigeria, named dependence on foreign sources for finished drug products, pharmaceutical raw materials and reagents as factors that accounted for the high cost of drugs in the country.
Other challenges named by Uwaga include high cost of product registration, lack of information management system in the pharmaceutical sector and chaotic drug distribution system.
He also fingered indiscriminate wages amongst health care practitioners and continued leadership of the health institutions by one professional group as factors that hamper effective health services delivery in the country.
To salvage the situation, Uwaga said: 'The PSN recommends the incorporation of the principles of adherence, concordance and clinical governance. These are global principles embarked upon by health sectors in all countries which health care machinery is based on."
Chairman, Conference Planning Committee, Mr. Steve Onyia, said that over 2000 delegates were expected at the conference, which he said would provide answers to many of the pharmaceutical problems in the country.