LAGOS – A Pharmacist, Mrs. Veronica Obilor, has urged government to set up a stringent procedure in drug administration to curb the reckless dispensation of prescribed drugs.
Obilor, who made the call during an interview with newsmen in Lagos, said that it was illegal to dispense such drugs without doctor‘s authorisation.
“It is unfortunate that some of all these dangerous drugs are sold in the open market as over-the-counter (OTC) drugs in the country.
“The normal procedure is that patients are to show prescription form from doctors, duly signed before pharmacies can sell the drugs, “Obilor said.
She stressed such dangerous drugs could cause physical and mental harm, if not properly used.
Obilor, who is also a member of the Nigerian Community Pharmacists’, Surulere Chapter, gave an example of such drugs as Tramol, usually taken by some people for physical fitness.
According to her, if not properly prescribed by a doctor, the user stands the risk of damaging his or her organs.
She said that the only way to address the problem frontally was to weed out quacks from the profession.
“The government should formulate a tight policy in the drug administration environment to curb irresponsible dispensing of such calibre of drugs.
“Let it be a 10-year imprisonment with hard labour for those found guilty of this act. Because it is human life they are playing with, “she said.
