Pharmacists seek drug tariff removal to encourage domestic production

• Published On: 23 September 2024 at 18:33

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria's Osun State branch has urged the Federal Government to remove tariffs on essential drug production commodities imported from outside the country.

The society stated that it is now critical for the federal government to take immediate action to reduce the rising cost of essential drugs, noting that the move would also encourage local drug production.

This was revealed in Osogbo on Monday by the society's chairman, Mr Michael Omoniyi, while speaking to journalists about the activities planned for the 2024 Pharmacy Week, which will take place from September 23 to September 29.

According to him, the theme for this year's celebration, 'Global Health Needs: Expanding Roles of Pharmacists in Beating Current Healthcare Challenges,' was chosen because the group believes there is a need to further expand pharmacists' roles in health care delivery.


"We urge the government to act and eliminate tariffs on essential drug production commodities. This will encourage local production and lower the cost of drugs, making them more accessible to the public," Omoniyi said.


He urged the public to disregard social media reports that a pharmacist stole drugs from Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital in Ile-Ife and sold them at his wife's shop.

In addition to claiming that the incident did not occur at OAUTHC, Omoniyi claimed that the perpetrator was never a pharmacist.


Commenting on the activities planned for the annual celebrations, the Osun PSN chairman stated that health work, a visit to the orphanage, a career talk, an award presentation, Jumat, and a thanksgiving service were among the planned events, and that Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke was expected to attend the weeklong events' opening ceremony.

Nurudeen Adebayo, chairman of the anniversary planning committee, urged Nigerians who were habitually consuming herbal concoctions to stop doing so in order to avoid premature damage to their internal organs.