The Vice President, International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), Dr Prosper Hiag, has emphasized the need for countries, especially developing ones, to avoid undue importation of
drugs, as a means to ensuring medicine security.
The president of the African Pharmaceutical Forum (APF) made this call in an exclusive interview with CEOAFRICA, during the just concluded 95th Annual National Conference of the
Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), held in Jos, recently.
He stated this while commenting on the theme of the conference, “Medicine Security in an Unstable Economy”, as he commended the president of the PSN, Prof. (Pharm.) Cyril Odianose
Usifoh, and his team for the theme of the conference and its proceedings, while outlining ways of
ensuring medicine security.
“For me, insecurity means lack of regulation and security means regulation. You should have both the pharmaceutical bodies that are working in regulation to promote quality medicines and the politician to help the pharmacists promote quality medicines, as well as fight illicit market. In addition, promote local production. Local production is fundamental to fighting against insecurity of medicines.
“When you have a factory in your country you can visit it anytime to know exactly what is happening, but when you import from other countries, how can you control the quality? That is
why I insist on local production to promote import substitution,” he said.
Speaking on the importance of the conference he said, “I’m from a country which is not far from here, Cameroon. We are facing the same problem of insecurity of drugs, because we import more than 90% of our drugs. I was invited to this conference by Prof. Cyril Usifoh. It was a special invitation for me. I am here to thank PSN President and Nigerian pharmacists.”