I do not want to go into the details of this Bill that recently had its public hearing at the National Assembly of Nigeria. I do not also wish to know the position of the medical profession at the public hearing because I was never there and I was never invited.
I however have a word on the Interpretation section which states thus:
"Pharmacy Technician" means a person who has been trained in Institutions recognized by the board including Schools or Colleges of Health Technology, Teaching Hospitals and Polytechnics and has obtained a Certificate or Diploma in Pharmacy Technique or Pharmaceutical Technology and by virtue of the qualification can mix, compound, prepare, dispense and supply non-scheduled Pharmaceutical products, and Primary Health care essential drugs".
If this Bill is passed, we shall be dealing with a new set of "medical doctors" in Nigeria with legal backing to them.
They would "mix, compound, prepare, dispense and supply non-scheduled Pharmaceutical products, and Primary Health care essential drugs".
They would dispense and supply drugs to people. Who prescibes the drugs is immaterial and was not stated in the Bill. They can as well see people, prescribe and dispense. They can also supply the drugs. Who they supply the drugs to is not mentioned in the Act. They can as well supply it to people at Ogbete Market. The meaning of non-scheduled drugs was not stated. Who decides what constitutes non-scheduled drugs is unknown. More importantly, they will be trained in Teaching Hospitals in Nigeria.
Medical practitioners may continue playing the ostrich. We must be proactive all the time.
Awkadigwe Fredrick Ikenna
awkadigweikenna@gmail.com
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