Pharmacists raise concern over fake prescription, drug abuse among health workers

Key players in the pharmaceutical industry yesterday raised concern over cases of fake prescription rampant of drugs in the country shocking revelation of drug addiction among health practitioners in Kano State.

The speakers, who shared different dynamics of drug abuse, majorly among youths, and social impact at the 10th Annual Symposium and Business Summit organized by Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP), Kano State chapter, advocated urgent government attention to nip the menace in the bud.

Former national chairman of NAIP, Dr. Lolu Ojo, posited that the free market distribution of drug has largely led to unwholesome handling of drug sales by unregistered marketers.

Ojo, who advocated extra vigilance on the distribution chain of Codeine syrup and other prescribed medication, said available record shows that over three million bottles of Codeine syrup are consumed daily in the state.

He stated that abuse of both psychotropic and prescriptive drugs in Kano was fast assuming alarming rate and challenged government and other stakeholders to rise against the menace before it consumes the society.Director of Pharmacy, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Habibu Uba Ringim, decried the rampant fake drug prescription in circulation and appealled to marketers to place more emphasis on humanity rather than material gains.

Prof Ibrahim Adamu Yakasai of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Bayero University, Kano, alerted of the dominance of married women and teenagers in the circle of drug addiction in Kano, as well as a shift of some young persons from the psychotropic drug consumption to prescription medicines.

He urged pharmaceutical companies to consider ethical provision in the distribution of abused medications in Kano.Chairman of NAIP in the state, Yusuf Gidado, blamed government for the prevalence of drug abuse in Kano, despite huge resources deployed to fight the menace.He regretted that the menace might persist until the sales, consumption and distribution of illegal drugs are placed under stringent control by appropriate agencies.