Coordinated wholesale centres key to eliminating fake medicines — PCN

The Registrar of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharm. Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, has said coordinated wholesale centres (CWC) will help eliminate the circulation of falsified and counterfeit medicines in the country.

He stated this yesterday during the ground-breaking ceremony of a coordinated wholesale centre (CWC) in Oba, Idemmili, Anambra State.

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He said the concept of a coordinated wholesale centre (CWC) was approved by the federal government in 2015 with the goal of relocating the stakeholders in drug businesses that are operating in the open markets (across the country) to regulated centres as CWC.

The open markets are usually unregulated and characterised by unwholesome activities that allow for falsified and adulterated medicines.

The registrar said the establishment of  CWC in the state is geared towards the closure and relocation of the Onitsha over-head drug market to the regulated centre.

Pharm. Babashehu said Anambra State, along with Lagos, Abia and Kano were the first set of states granted approval for the establishment of CWC.

“The goal is to achieve a well-ordered drug distribution system in the country and bring sanity to the drug distribution channel aimed at improving access to quality, effective and safe medicines.

“This will inadvertently eliminate the circulation of falsified and counterfeit medicines in the country,” he said.

He said PCN granted the location approval of the site, in Oba, Anambra State to the Central Pharmaceutical and Allied Products (CPAPWL), the special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the stakeholders in the Bridge-Head market, Onitsha, after the successful location approval inspection was conducted in 2016.

While thanking Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo for performing the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the centre, he said the two other states granted approval have commenced construction activities while that of Kano is about to be commissioned.

He called on all stakeholders to unite and cooperate with the governor for the speedy and successful completion of the laudable project in Anambra State.