Pharmacists want research on drugs

Pharmacists have called on the Federal Government to invest on research activities in the pharmaceutical industry in order to boost healthcare delivery in the country.

Chairman Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) Abuja branch, Jelili Kilani made the call yesterday in Abuja during the sensitization exercise for secondary school students to mark this year’s World Pharmacy Day.

The theme of this year’s commemoration is “From research to healthcare: Your Pharmacist is at your service.”

He said it was important for government to invest in research, which is capital intensive and time consuming, taking as much as 12 years or more.

While saying that the outcome and follow up on researches being done were major areas of concern, he said with government’s investment in research, the cost of production of drugs is reduced.

He said research was key to addressing health challenges adding that successful research outcomes like the production of NIPROSAN by the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) for sickle cell was hampered by lack of funds to produce on large scale.

The chairman of the occasion, Pharmacist Wosilat Giwa said pharmacists were the experts needed to champion the medication safety in healthcare delivery. She added that the World Pharmacist Day brings attention to pharmacists and the positive benefits they offer in healthcare.