The Edo State Governor, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, has said that, over 120 patent medicine and pharmacy stores have been closed down since the inception of his administration, due to their failure to practice the pharmacy profession within the frame work of the law.
Professor Osunbor disclosed this on Wednesday in Benin City, while declaring open the 2008 pharmacy week with the theme “The Impact of legislation in pharmacy practice in Nigeria organized by the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Edo State Branch.
The governor who was represented at the occasion by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Wilson Imongan, described the theme as apt because it was in line with achieving the various components of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the target year 2015.
According to him, as part of government efforts to attain the Millennium Development Goals”, the present administration has taken giant strides by stating a noble programme for the vulnerable group which comprises women and children, adding that they are to enjoy free Anti Malaria treatment, ante-natal care and delivery as part of government efforts to significantly reduce maternal and infant mortality rates, as malaria contributes 11 per cent to maternal deaths.
While commending the organizers of the event for their initiative, governor Osunbor noted that, in the life of this government, the monitoring, regulation and control of drug outlets remained paramount as the pharmacy profession has played pivotal role in ensuring the upward review on the activities of essential drug project in the state, pointing out that all efforts are directed at revamping the essential drug project for it to supply quality and affordable drugs for the benefit of the people.
Speaking earlier, the state Chairman of PSN, Pharmacist Osita Idemili said that, the theme of the conference “The impact of legislation on pharmacy practice in Nigeria” was carefully chosen because of the burning desire of Pharmacists to practice their profession like their counterparts in other countries where rule of law prevails.
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