The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Ministry of Health to make available a prescription policy to monitor sale of drugs in the country.
The House, which insisted such a policy must be enforced, charged the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria as a matter of urgency to shutdown illegal outlets of pharmaceutical products including open drug markets.
The House further urged the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, and the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, to partner with the Standards Organization, SON, Ministry of Information and National Orientation to continuously sensitize public awareness about drug abuse.
It tasked the Committees on Narcotics Drugs, Healthcare Services, National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, and Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance.
These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion titled: “Need to Curb Indiscriminate Sale of Drugs and Lack of Adherence to Prescription Policy in Nigeria”, sponsored by Hon. Adamu Ibrahim Gamawa.
It also noted that according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), there is a frightening surge in the issue of drug abuse and misuse in Nigeria with drug use prevalence statistics at 14,4% of productive age in Nigeria (15–65 years of age), which almost three times the global Drug use Prevalence (5.5%).
The House said it was also aware that various empirical studies showed that Drug abuse is a significant facilitator of extremism terrorism, violent crimes, and high school dropout, negatively affecting community health, security, and stability, according to consumer studies.
It was also worried that most of the drugs sold by illiterate and semi-literate drug hawkers are counterfeit, substandard, or expired, and therefore do not meet the quality, safety, and requirements of medicines to be consumed.
