NOA tasks patent medicine dealers in A’Ibom

Isaac Job, Uyo

Worried by cases of deaths recorded in the country as a result of counterfeit and unwholesome drugs, members of National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED) in Akwa Ibom state have been charged to engage in legitimate business to protect the lives of consumers.

State Director of the National Orientation Agency, Mr. Enoh Uyoh made the appeal at a one-day sensitization workshop organized yesterday in Uyo by Christabels International for patent medicine dealers.

Uyoh said that “the primary goal of a business organization is profit-making, but this profit cannot be made without providing a product that satisfies a need.

Also, when the desired essence of the product does not conform to the expectation of the consumer, there is always a challenge of sustainability.

“Therefore, any business that emphasizes solely on profit-making without recourse to the safety of consumers is a critical mistake that can make such business go underground.

“This explains why product objective is considered not complete until it gets to the final consumer and also satisfy their need. Dealers on fake products should desist from this nefarious act and engage in legitimate business.”

Uyoh charged both regulatory bodies and law enforcement agencies such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Manufacturer Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the police to be more alive to their responsibilities by arresting, prosecuting and punishing offenders.

“When we collectively resist counterfeit and unwholesome products, both the manufacturers and distributors would re-order their priorities to suit the demands of consumers,” he stressed.

In his goodwill message, the state Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr. Mohammed Sokoto, who was represented by Mr. Malam Yakubu, staff officer, Drug Demand Reduction Unit, identified stimulants and depressants as the most common drugs of abuse found and sold by members of NAPPMED and other medicine vendors.

He called on patent medicine dealers to among others “strictly adhere to the approved patent and proprietary medicine list by the licensing and coordinating authorities.”