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Federal Government Initiates Strategy to End Drug Stockouts
- October 14, 2023
- Posted by: Admin
- Category: Health Health tips National Health Daily News update
The Federal Government of Nigeria is implementing strategies to put an end to drug stockouts in the country. Prof. Mohammed Sambo, the Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), announced this initiative during a press conference in collaboration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The NHIA has engaged various stakeholders, including pharmaceutical manufacturers and companies, as part of its rebranding efforts to find solutions to eradicate drug stockouts. This initiative seeks to ensure that essential medicines and other health products are continuously available and accessible to the public.
To achieve this, the NHIA has launched a Medicines Supply Implementation Committee, which will pilot the rebranding of 33 products in partnership with 12 pharmaceutical companies. The initiative will begin its implementation in seven states: Delta, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Niger, Osun, Sokoto, and the Federal Capital Territory.
This approach aims to strengthen local pharmaceutical manufacturing, ensuring a steady supply of quality medicines at affordable prices while improving medicine security. The NHIA intends to negotiate with manufacturers to reduce the cost of intravenous fluids by up to 50% without compromising quality standards.
To support this initiative, the NHIA has requested that NAFDAC grant a waiver to pharmaceutical companies to include the NHIA logo on their drug packaging. This request is to prevent the additional costs from being transferred to end-users and to enable collaborative post-market surveillance by both NHIA and NAFDAC.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC, emphasised the importance of the collaboration between NAFDAC and NHIA in regulating and controlling the manufacture, distribution, sale, and use of drugs in the country. She highlighted the recent launch of operational guidelines for the 2022 National Health Insurance Authority Act, which is part of the government’s efforts to ensure that all Nigerians have access to affordable healthcare services. These guidelines clarify the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders in the health sector to help achieve Universal Health Coverage.
NAFDAC will collaborate with NHIA to ensure that 33 drugs are branded with the NHIA logo under the government’s Executive Order 3 (EO3) on support for local content in public procurement. Adeyeye added that NAFDAC will continue to work with NHIA to implement the terms outlined in EO3 to achieve Universal Health Coverage as specified in the National Drug Policy.