Open Drug Market And National Drug Distribution Guidelines

As Nigeria is struggling with regulating drug distribution and moving away from open drug market, most developed countries have a good drug distribution system. That shows the world have move past Nigeria. This is the reason you walk in the street to see a pepper seller with some drugs by the side selling to fellow traders and passer-by. These drugs are not just over the counter drugs but prescription only medicines and controlled drugs.
The government have tried severally to stop this chaotic drug distribution system in the country but have failed. The last date to end open drug market was December, 2018. However, this is the end of the first quarter of the year 2019 yet open drug market still thrive. The reasons are not far fetched. But before we talk about that, let us see what open drug market is before talking about the reason the government is not able to stop it.
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Open Drug Market In Nigeria

Open drug market have been for a while now. It became obvious after the civil war. The war open the eyes of some fortunate few Nigerian that work with Red Cross Society on how to use drugs during first aids. Due to the shortage of medical doctors and pharmacist at that time, these persons became local medical doctors and pharmacist after the Nigeria civil war. The problem was compounded when the global recession in the 80s push manufacturing companies producing branded expensive products to cut drug supplies to third world countries to save cost. This open the road for unbranded products mostly coming from China and India into third world countries. This made it easy for private individuals to import drugs directly from manufacturers. With a patent medicine licence, you can import just anything called drug. They are found at idumota in Lagos state, Onitsha head bridge in Anambra state, Ariaria market in Abia state and Sabon gari market in Kano state. There are other small pockets of drug markets scattered around the country.

Selling drugs along with foodstuff

As these importers grew, it became difficult to regulate them. Them importing drugs into the country was no problem. Problem arise when they started importing drugs from questionable sources without considering the negative impact it can have on the health of the population. They sometimes package fake products in genuine package just to make  money. Above all, they have little or no consideration on proper transport and storage of these drugs (some drugs require certain temperature to remain effective throughout their shelf life which open drug marketers always ignore) as well as give no concern who they sell it to. They sell both prescription only medicines and controlled drugs to anybody including the quacks that hawk drugs you see in the streets especially at night.

Solution Underway

In other to solve the above problem, the federal government of Nigeria under the guidance of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (N.A.F.D.A.C) and the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria (P.C.N) design a template for effective good drug distribution system aim at curbing this above problems. It is designed in such a way that drugs re source from registered manufacturers or importers and follow a distribution system down to the patient. Called National Drug Distribution Guidelines (N.D.DG), it involve four coordinated wholesale mega drug centers located in Kano, Aba, Lagos and Onitsha which is to distribute drugs to state centres before it gets to wholesalers and then finally the retailer (Community Pharmacy, hospital and patent medicine vendors). The public remain the last consumer. Pharmacist are to oversee the whole distribution process.

Advantages Of NDDG

1. A good distribution system will be able to track drug in the system.
2. Data generation will be easy
3. Fake drugs can be curtailed
4. A good distribution system will make it easy to recall a drug already in the system
5. Easy to regulate drugs
6. Wasting resources will reduce as it is common in the present system

Poor Implementation Of National Drug Distribution Guidelines

From the look of things, it is clear the government lack the will power to implement the NDDG. One of the reasons stakeholders gave was that the programme is an orphan. There is no regulatory body among NAFDAC and PCN that claim ownership. That means it is hanging in the air. Even from the look of things, the following are also against the policy;
1. The federal government is not fully aware the real health implications of the present system. They are yet to draw a link between poor healthcare and the chaotic drug distribution system. They have not heard of any direct death from it. It looks funny to some of them how the present system actually affecting the health of the nation. To them, there are other pressing health challenges that need their all attention. Only few in the health sector knows the full health implication of the present system.
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2. Those presently benefiting from the system fear the new system may affect their profit in one way or the other that they are not seeing yet. They feel there is a hidden agenda by the government to phase them out if business hence they do their best to frustrate the process. Some say it is a direct attack at a particular tribe because they are more into this distribution.
The public have been at risk. The public is not limited to non medical personnel alone. It is affecting both pharmacist and medical doctors. All hands must come together to phase open drug market from this country if we must fight a good fight. It is for the benefit of all.
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