Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria,ACPN, Anambra State Branch has decried the overtaking of their practice by patent medicine dealers in the 2023 edition of their annual state conference in Awka, Anambra State Capital.
This year’s edition was a two day programme themed ‘From Crisis to Preparedness: the future of community practice in ANAMBRA State.’
According to the keynote speaker, Pharm Dr. Ikem Odumodu, over time, pharmacists have not worked hard enough to hold their profession together and that is why the patent medicine dealers have taken charge.
“Most people now resort to patent Medicine dealers and this is part of the reason many people die mysteriously.
“For instance, when you take tetracycline and you eat beans, it may kill you. But patent medicine dealers do not know that. There are some drugs patent medicine dealers are not supposed to administer, but you find out they hide these drugs and administer them discreetly.
“The law allowed patent medicine dealers when there were not enough pharmacists. But this is no longer the case now and there is need for this law to be challenged.
“Every medicine is a potential poison when it is not taken properly. If you doubt it take 20 tablets of paracetamol when you get home. You won’t wake up the next day.”
In his interaction with journalists, Pharm Odumodu stated that the ACPN has taken some decision to reverse this trend in the programme and expressed optimism that in the next five years there would be some improvement in the practice.
Speaking on traditional medicine practice, the keynote speaker admitted that people can get remedy for their health issues. He however noted that “there are limitations in traditional medicine practice; they do not know the constituents and dosage per weight of some of the substances they administer and this poses a risk as these drugs can affect the blood pressure of the patient adversely when not properly taken and this can result in death.”
Pharm Odumodu also decried the lack of sustenance of the tempo he created in the operation of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria when he was Director General. In his words, “I risked my life for this Standard Organisation of Nigeria. If I had known that they would not continue employing professionalism in their practice, I would have worked like the conventional Nigerian.”
In his welcome address, the ACPN, Anambra State branch chairman, Pharm. Henry Iloh described the governor of the state, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, as a pharmacy-friendly governor. He appreciated all who made the programme successful by contribution and attendance and prayed for community pharmacy practice to get better as a result.
High points of the event were clinical presentations by various pharmaceutical companies. Worthy of note was the effort made by Green Pharmaceuticals to debunk the allegation that P-Alaxin, their brand of antimalarial drug causes kidney failure. The medical representative of Award Global Healthcare was also seen distributing fliers of the their brand of products to the community pharmacists in attendance as he familiarized himself with them.
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