PHARMACISTS MOVE TO TACKLE QUACKERY IN RIVERS

The Rivers State chapter of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria has said it will soon begin an aggressive campaign to crack down on quacks in the area.

Its chairwoman, Mrs. Pricilla Nosiri, told newsmen in Port Harcourt on Tuesday that the move would also check the circulation of fake and substandard drugs in the state.

She stressed the need to instill sanity in the profession, noting that the measure would reduce the risks being faced by the public in the hands of medicine dealers.

Nosiri said that officially registered outlets for the retail of pharmaceutical products must have pharmacists as their managing directors.

She warned pharmacists in the state against unethical practices, saying 'the profession cannot witness any progress, while the public will not be able to benefit optimally from the practice of pharmacy unless we all resolve to do things right.''

According to the News Agency of Nigeria,Nosiri described pharmacists as the image of the medical profession, stressing that quality health care service must be made accessible to the public.

'As pharmacists, we must always strive to ensure sanity, decency and honesty in the practice of the profession,'' she added.