PSN Partners Imo Govt on Fight Against Fake Drugs, Visit D.Gov Ekomaru.

By Iheanyi Enwerem…

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Imo State has called on the Imo State Government to invest massively in the Pharmaceutical industry, which it said will create an enabling environment to attract investors to the industry in the state, as they also pledged to partner with the government on the fight against fake drugs.

Chairman of the association Dr. Nobert Ajiero, during a courtesy visit on the deputy governor of Imo State, Lady Chinyere Ekomaru in her office, recently.

Ajiero opined that Pharmacists have over the years contributed immensely to the growth of the economy, both at the state and national levels, through increased local production, to ensure medicine safety.

The PSN boss and immediate past aide to Governor Hope Uzodimma on Health, intimated the deputy governor of what he called cascade of activities, including the Imo Pharma Business Summit coming up soon, using the opportunity to invite the deputy governor to the event.

“Your Excellency, it may interest you to know that Pharmacists have cerebrally advanced themselves, particularly in specialization into various areas of competence, like; Public Health Pharmacy, Clinical Pharmacy, Oncology Pharmacy, Renal Pharmacy, among others.

“While some are in academia, others are either in the hospital administrative industry or Community Pharmacy practice, making the profession, not just lucrative, but versatile and enterprising”.

The society, through the address read by its chairman made some requests from the deputy governor which included; to facilitate their courtesy visit on the governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, assist in the development of the society’s land and construction of the society’s secretariat, implementation of Dr. of Pharmacy and Pharmacy Consultancy in Imo State civil service.

Others are; Appointment and employment of Pharmacists in diverse roles in the state, provision of buses for medical outreaches in remote villages and other engagements of the society and the domestication of National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) in the state.

Responding, the deputy governor, Lady ChinyereIhuomaEkomaru made it clear that Governor Uzodimma has special passion for health care delivery, reason he has done so much in the health sector, including renovating almost all health centresacross communities in the state and building new General Hospitals.

Lady Ekomaru made a passionate plea to the society to play their roles in making sure that Imolites are healthy, help in checking the menace of self medication, sale and consumption of expired drugs, among others.

Assuring them of her support, the Imo number two citizen said, ‘I know you did ask for collaboration. I am assuring you that the collaboration between the state government and Pharmacists will always happen, because we require your professional services to remain healthy”