A group of concerned pharmacists has floated a pharmaceutical distribution network to checkmate the perennial problem of counterfeiting and chaotic drug system.
Tagged ‘Pharmaceutical Wholesalers and Distributors Association of Nigeria (PWDAN)’, the initiative is due for official commissioning on May 26 at the Sheraton Hotel in Lagos.
Speaking with our correspondent, Dr. Ernest Okafor, PWDAN Chairman disclosed that through its analytics of Track and trace, the association easily zero in on where certain drugs are bought as well as their particular batch.
“Through the analytics too, we should be able to tell if there was a recall of certain products. Setting up PWDAN is another way I feel we feel value can be added to merchandising and drug distribution system.
“If there is a problem along the line, we will be able to track and block it. You can only solve a problem if you know the origin. This is why PWDAN has put measures in place to checkmate that,” he reassured.
A worried Okafor stated that the government has been paying lip service over drug distribution for too long.
He noted that although the laws are always there, the problem is enforcement.
“We know what is right but the ability to enforce the benchmark is missing. We as a body of pharmacists with years of experience have decided to raise that bar by improving our infrastructure. We talk about global best practices, WHO pre-qualification, infrastructure build-up knowing that some drugs are manufactured in certain conditions just as their expiration dates.
“Therefore for drugs to elicit action, those conditions must be met. That is why logistics and finance also come in. If you don’t finance well, you are bound to have a lot of mushroom distributors springing up,” he said.
He described PWDAN as a trade group comprising community pharmacists. “Let us just say we are in the middle of NIROPHARM and PMGMAN. We are recognized as wholesalers and distributors,” he said.
Another drug distributor, Ogheneochuko Omaruaye also confirmed the development.
Omaruaye, who also doubles as PWDAN vice-chairman, reiterated that the ultimate aim was to position PWDAN as a basis for benchmarking any other form of drug distribution in the country.
“Right now, it is as if there is no standardization. Our goal is to restructure the drug distribution channel,” he said.
