Just In : Pharmacists urge Tinubu to nullify minister’s ban on syringes, needles importation
The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria have urged President Bola Tinubu, to nullify the ban on the importation of syringes and needles into the country by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Alausa.
The pharmacists in a letter to the Presidency, which was made available to PUNCH Healthwise titled, “A need for a Presidential redress of the gaffe by Dr Tunji Alausa”, the pharmacists warned that if the hasty ban was not voided, it would bring about a monopoly and stock-outs in the supply value chain of syringes in the country.
The ACPN said the ban will also sabotage efforts made by the Federal Government over the years to sanitise the nation’s open drug market.
The letter was jointly signed by the ACPN National Chairman, Adewale Oladigbolu, and the National Secretary, Ashore Omokhafe.
The minister had in circular with ref number: HMSH&SW/CMDs/MDs/FTHs/CIRCULAR/S&N/03 dated 28th March 2024, directed all Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors of Federal Tertiary Hospitals to procure needles and syringes from only the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, approved local manufacturers.
Alausa in the circular also mandated NAFDAC to stop issuing licences for the importation of foreign-manufactured needles and syringes and to de-list companies involved in the importation of these products going forward.
The circular titled, “Use of locally manufactured needles and syringes”, partly read, “Out of the nine local pharmaceutical companies that produced needles and syringes eight years ago, six have folded up due to dumping of largely substandard goods into our market. Mr President has directed that this must stop
“Furthermore, all our tertiary hospitals are hereby directed to procure needles and syringes for your hospital needs from only the NAFDAC-approved local manufacturers listed below and are listed either directly or through any of their vendors. EL-Salmat Pharmaceuticals Company Ltd Block, Brand Name: Salmaject, HMA Medical Ltd., with brand Name: Deleject and Afrimedical Manufacturing & Supplies Ltd.”
Both ACPN officials said the association had critically appraised the circular and it does not align with the convention and protocol of the civil service in Nigeria.
The letter reads, “Your Excellency, the ACPN appeals to your sense of judgment in good conscience to quash the unlawful and vengeful circular of the Hon. Minister of State, Dr. Tunji Alausa for reasons well highlighted in this memo.
“Your Excellency, the output of Dr Alausa is yet another vindication that pharmaceutically inclined endeavours need the technical input of a seasoned Registered Pharmacist in the capacities of a Chairman of, the Presidential Committee on Drug Distribution and Advisor on Pharmaceuticals to gain the desired momentum in Nigeria.
“The desperation and a seeming ulterior motive by the Minister of State to get involved procedurally in what should have been the exclusive preserve of bureaucrats like the Permanent Secretary or other technocrats like the relevant directors have led to avoidable errors.”
The association said in the past few weeks, some notable leaders in healthcare and representatives of various healthcare professional bodies cautioned the minister on the need to exercise caution before banning the importation of medical consumables and devices as well as drugs in Nigeria.
The letter further reads, “Your Excellency, this unprecedented adventure and needless gamble of the Minister of State will bring about a monopoly and stock-outs in the supply value chain of syringes because it is a little too hasty and brash.
“We need to raise salient pointers here, Your Excellency, to enable you to appreciate the dangers ahead and the national sabotage Dr Alausa is taking Nigeria through. These include: Why is it possible to bring substandard products into Nigeria with the array of regulators at the designated ports of entry?
“What philosophy encourages the dumping of products including drugs and other health commodities more than the Open Drug Market (ODM) phenomenon which we have been trying to deal with decisively in contrast to the Hon. Minister of State who has through his unlawful circular now jeopardized efforts to lease the ignominious status quo of using ODMs as the medium for distributing regulated products in Nigeria”
The ACPN alleged that of the 34 distributors listed in Alausa’s circular, more than half, or 52.94 per cent are operators in the outlawed open drug market with seven each in Idumota in Lagos and Kano.
According to the association, it cost the Federal Government millions of naira to relocate these markets as well as another two each in Headbridge and Ariaria markets in Anambra and Abia states respectively.
Condemning the minister’s action, ACPN said, “Minister of State who has through his unlawful circular now jeopardised efforts to lease the ignominious status quo of using ODMs as the medium for distributing regulated products in Nigeria.
“The lamentations of the Hon. Minister to wit “Out of the nine local pharmaceutical companies that produced needles and syringes eight years ago, six have folded up due to dumping of largely substandard goods into our market”.
“These jibes amount to political phoenixism. This is an economic principle where an organisation in the bid to meet the totality of its commitments changes the nature of the game but continues to use the old management methodologies to run the organization to meet its goals.
“The ACPN as the technical group of the PSN which is the natural habitat of the largest assemblage of distributors and marketers of drugs, consumables, chemicals, medical devices, and other health consumables remains a strong advocate of local manufacturing.
“The ethos and tenets of commerce suggest that competitiveness brings out the best in terms of quality and pricing index to the advantage of consumers in all global assessments.
“Even if we choose to jeopardise WTO treaties to which we are signatories because of national interest, it must be guided by recent experiences in the commodity segment markets..”
