Pharmaceutical Industries Can Provide More Jobs But War On Fakes Should Continue, Says Poly Emenike

Challenges Of Pharmaceutical Industry

The challenges of pharmaceutical industry in Nigeria are enormous. The issues relating to manufacturing and importation of fake and substandard products are really of great interest. Despite the efforts of NAFDAC to curtail this, smugglers still smuggle many unregistered products in the country, though not as much as it used to be, due the presence of the Agency.

For the companies that are into local manufacturing of drugs and beverages in the country, the source for raw materials locally and abroad has also constituted another interesting problem for manufacturing firms.

Most of them have to import almost 70 per cent of the raw materials needed for the production from outside the country at high costs. In most cases, the tariff charges for importation of these commodities are very high.

Apart from these, there is a stiff competition between the prices of the smuggled goods and that of locally manufactured ones. The smugglers are ready to dispose the products at give away prices, which the local manufacturers cannot do without going down the drain.

On a very crucial note, electricity is another interesting part of the challenges all the manufacturing industries faced in the country. We are meant to keep our generating plants at the standby, but today, we have the power generating plants as the major source of power, while the electricity forms the standby for us. This is a critical situation that requires urgent attention to help the pharmaceutical industry not to go the way of the textile companies.

Electricity on its own is another strangling factor that every business operating in the country has to face, including the pharmaceutical companies in the country.

Challenges Of African Traditional Medicine (ATM)

The World Health Organisation has a positive disposition to traditional medicine. The Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and by implication its successor-body, the African Union (AU), also recognises the traditional medical practitioners.

Users of the products of traditional medical practitioners must have seen something good in the products to patronise them. NAFDAC has, in recognition of these facts and more, listed some of the products; a reality that has been capitalised upon to get more converts to traditional herbal medical products. So, this is not really a major problem to the system.

How NAFDAC helped the industry

One thing with the pharmaceutical sector in Nigeria is that things are changing with advent of the Iron Lady, Prof. Dora Akunyili, Director General, NAFDAC. Before now, there was no order, but now with the effort of NAFDAC and Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) things are taking shape.

NAFDAC is to be commended for its attempts to protect the lives of Nigerians through its war against fake drugs, and other substandard products. Recently, the agency seized and destroyed such products worth a whopping N250 million in the northern state of Gombe and others standing trials in several courts.

At the same time, NAFDAC has also called on the public to adopt preventive measures against the scourge by always checking consumables for NAFDAC numbers, expiry dates and manufacturers addresses, among others and we are at the helm of this instruction, because we are the most affected.

Effects of consumption of fake and substandard products

One can only hope the solution is as simplistic as that, as some products have been known to meet such standards without necessarily being fit for consumption. However, the advice becomes necessary, because only nothings in life can equate with the pains that the avoidable death brings.

Almost as a routine, family members, colleagues and acquaintances die of relatively minor illnesses such as malaria, headaches, stomach pain and the like. We begin to experience doubts regarding our own safety after finding out that such persons were given drugs, which only worsened their condition.

This brings to mind what happened in Kano in 1996 when the state was hit by a severe outbreak of cholera, measles and meningitis. When government could not contain the scourge, a team of scientists from Pfizer in Connecticut, USA, stormed the state with Trovan, a drug, which they claimed was the remedy.

Unfortunately, Trovan had never been tested on minors, an information, which the company did not publicize, complicating the issue. This is why we should comply with the directive of NAFDAC to scrutinize drugs and other consumables properly before purchasing them.

Complimenting NAFDACs role

The stage is set for that. There is collaboration from all angles. At the sight of any product suspected to be a fake, we alert the NAFDAC, in order for them to take the appropriate action.

Doing business in Nigeria

Well, this aspect depends on the value of the company and immediate controls involved. I wont say because things are bad and business comes to be bad. One has to make certain sacrifices to improve these infrastructures. In our own bit, as a pharmaceutical company, we have to make some support with donations, where possible and in little way we can to get things improved, which could be part of our social responsibility.

In our social responsibility, there are many things involved. In the health sector, some hospitals might need some drugs. We are bank rolling the challenge cup of the Anambra State, trying to empower the youths, while catching them young.

Assistance to the health care centres

Companies including pharmaceutical companies should be sensitive to the issues related to health. Our healthcare facilities are in deplorable state and require urgent turn around. Most of them do not have the needed means to turn these services around, but some companies can help to achieve this.

I believe there should be a pooling of resources together - public, private partnership with government, by some of these companies will help resuscitate the dead health centres in the country, especially, the public health centres.

Where they need material assistance like drugs, we send the drugs and when they need to upgrade their structures, one can talk of donations. Also, in area of clinical needs, we share with them. So, there are many ways pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria can help in reaching the desired goals of improving our healthcare facilities.

Reducing unemployment rate in the country

Pharmaceutical industry generally, has high record of labour employment. There are several pharmaceutical companies, which are into different production processes.

Some are major sales outfits, while others are into manufacturing. A lot of hands are needed in a multi-products production.

Even with the so-called imported ones, there is need for many sale representatives to market them. This way, graduate unemployment can be reduced.

Are these products produced locally or imported?

Well, for now, we import these products. We have not started local manufacturing of the products but with the completion of our factory at Ota, we will start local manufacturing, and when the country has also improved in its petrochemical industry.

Work at the companys state-of-the-art factory complex located at Sango Ota, Ogun State, has reached a very advanced stage of completion. Going by our plan, this production facility, which will enjoy both local and international certification, is slated to commence operation by the 2nd quarter of the year 2009.

The companys objective is to turn into a public limited liability company on or before the year 2013.

How has bank helped the sector?

Well, banks in Nigerian are trying, but I want to say that in as much as they help the few ones they could, the rate should also be considered because it has been found to be relatively high. Banks can help the businesses in the country.

There is no doubt about that. But every businesses man is sceptical about going to the bank for loans.

New products in the country or a recycling of old drugs

Researches in drugs are on going and it means that new ones will always be there in the market. For instance, Mekoamin is among the new ones and it is a combination of eight essential amino acid and 11 vitamins, designed to help the body in the formation of new body proteins, enzymes and hormones in order to maintain good health and healthy living.

Among these are essential amino acids and vitamins; essentially, amino acid cannot be stored into the body, they are converted to fuel and must be supplied simultaneously to support maximum protein synthesis.

The essential amino acid serves as building as blocks for the protein needed for tissue repairs, enzymes and hormones formation, while the vitamins strengthen body immune system, improve metabolism, energy level, as well as physical and mental growth.

The drug strengthens the body immune system, improves metabolism, energy levels, accelerates recovery from emaciation due to malnutrition or illness, and improves physical and mental growth.

Health and safety considerations

Two keys concern are critical when handling pharmaceutical dusts - the potent, toxic or allergenic properties of the compound as it relates to personnel exposure and the explosion properties of the compound.

The first issue involves understanding the toxicological properties of the material, reviewing the Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) and performing a risk-based exposure evaluation to determine the methods for proper control.

In most cases, some level of isolation and containment is required due to the fact that the pharmaceutical dust is extremely potent while being captured in a non-production area and cannot be released into the surrounding environment.