Community pharmacists charge government on economic down turn

Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), has charged government to fix the economic downturn and create enabling environment to enable pharmacists source raw materials locally.

Chairman of ACPN, Lagos State chapter, Pharm. Biola Paul-Ozieh, said the economic recession affects many businesses in Nigeria, especially the pharmaceutical sector, which is largely import dependent both for finished goods and raw inputs.

She made this call at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association, sponsored by Lagos ACPN, and held in Ikeja, Lagos. She said: “Prices of pharmaceuticals have skyrocketed. Some brands have been phased out from circulation, while capital flight has become an issue all through the value chain from manufacturers/importers to distributors and the retail end. In fact, multinationals are already leaving the shores of this country. Thus, the industry and consuming public are faced with challenges of availability, accessibility and affordability and this ugly scenario has persisted in the country.”