The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Cross River State Chapter, has raised an alarm about the ongoing unwholesome practices which may portend great danger for unsuspecting members of the public if they remain unchecked.
Ajah Ibiang Ajah, chairman of the Cross River State branch of ACPN, who made the call, also urged the federal and state governments as well as law enforcement agencies to check the unwholesome activities of the National Association of Pharmaceutical Technologists and Pharmacy Technicians’ (NAPTON) as it concerns their involvement in issuing of “licence” to unqualified persons to dispense drugs to members of the public.
Speaking in an interview with BusinessDay, Ajah said: “What is going on in Cross River State is really unfortunate and dangerous; some persons are using the name of NAPTON to engage in criminal activities, invariably endangering the health of the people. I am calling on the Federal and Cross River State governments, including the law enforcement agencies to rise to the occasion and protect the health of our people.
“Some leaders of the association based their actions or the lawlessness on the ‘ruling of a federal high court, sitting in Lagos, in which they took Pharmacist Council of Nigeria (PCN) to court and won. It emanated as a result of a circular issued by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria in regard to employment and promotion of pharmacy technicians in the government departments, is a dispute over a particular circular and nothing more.
“It did not cover people who are not pharmacy technicians, it will not also cover opening a drug outlet and selling drug to the public, it will not cover anyone issuing licenses or certificate to non-pharmacists to encourage them to sell drugs to the public”he stated.
Ajah further explained that some leaders of NAPTON are trying to create the impression that there is contention between NAPTON and PCN. NAPTON is a voluntary organisation while PCN is a parastatal or a department of the Federal Ministry of Health which has the legal duties to ensure that those who administer drugs are professionals/qualified through being licensed.
He added that the ruling by the High Court in Lagos (FHC/CS/455/2007) was also appealed and interpreted in another suit (FHC/CA/CS/M90/2012) which was what NAPTON was basing their actions on.
On his part, Lawrence Ewa Henshaw, deputy national president of NAPTON, said in a telephone interview that the law establishing the association gives them the authority to give licences to people to run drugs stores and outlets. “By law, we are authorised to issue licences for opening of drug outlets,” he said.
He added also that “the law establishing PCN does not give them jurisdiction over other practitioners except pharmacists. They are also prohibited from interfering with the activities of NAPTON. Also, the Federal High Court, Ikoyi –Lagos in 2007 declared our association winner of the case and issued a court injunction restraining PCN from interfering with our duties and responsibilities in a suit(FHC/445/2007),” Henshaw explained.
MIKE ABANG
