Kano state government plans to establish a pharmaceutical products market in the state capital, as part of initiative to curb the sale and consumption of unwholesome drugs.

The state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, who announced this on Wednesday in a speech during the opening of the Pharmacy Week 2016, organized by the state branch of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, at Tahir Guest Palace, said the aim is to significantly control proliferation of hard and counterfeit drugs and medicament s.

According to him, at the moment, it is difficult for government to control drug vendors in the state who own shops all over the place and prescribe pharmaceutical products indiscriminately, saying such activities must be stopped to save the lives of the people.

His words:  “Representatives of professional bodies like Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and law enforcement agents would be stationed in the market so that all products are safe, effective, and of good quality, and are prescribed and used sensibly”.

Ganduje noted that it is more difficult to check and regulate the rampant use of herbal substances because most of the herbalists are not certified and sell their products anywhere giving wide room for abuse.

The governor tasked the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria to assist the government to control the use of herbal products.

Ganduje also assured that his administration would pay attention to manpower development in the area of Pharmacy and promised to complete all capital projects in the health sector in the state.

On his part, the National President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria,  Ahmed Ibrahim Yakasai, thanked the federal government for its determination to regularize doctorate degrees for pharmacists in Nigerian universities, describing the initiative as a significant milestone in moving the nation forward.

He described Kano state government as a pacesetter in the fight against the sale and consumption of hard drugs, assuring that the pharmaceutical society in the state would support the government effort.

Earlier, the chairman, Kano state branch of the Society, Malam Ghali Sule, explained that the week was convened to demonstrate the role of pharmacists in the health care sector, their challenges and efforts to raise funds to build a state secretariat for the association.