LASG warns pharmacists against referring patients to drug peddlers

The Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Health on Tuesday charged pharmacists in hospitals to ensure drug availability and avoid referring patients to drug peddler.

The Chairman of the committee, Mr Segun Olulade, made the appeal on Tuesday during an oversight visit to the Apapa General Hospital.

The lawmaker spoke against the backdrop of complaints by some patients that drugs are not always available in the hospital, and that pharmacists refer them to drug peddlers.

Olulade, who said that he had observed the practice, called on pharmacists in public hospitals to desist from actions capable of undermining the efforts of the state government.

According to him, there are many illegal drug peddlers who sell fake and expired drugs.

He said: “Pharmacies should do everything within their reach to provide drugs.

“Don’t tell anybody to go and buy drugs outside our facilities. We should not expose them to dangers. We have a system to get drugs for people.

“We have started going after drug peddlers, however.”

Olulade said that he recently led a team that sealed many chemist stores in Ojo due to illegality.

The lawmaker said that the stores were sealed for quackery, sale of fake and expired drugs and lack of licence, among other unprofessional practices.

He said that the committee was committed to dealing with illegal drugs peddlers.

“You (patients) will get drugs that are not fake here. It is important that people go to public hospitals and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to get drugs.

“Stop going after quarks,’’ Olulade urged.

He urged medical practitioners to desist from negligence of duties and unprofessional practices, adding that the government would not tolerate such.

The lawmaker interacted with patients in the different sections of the hospital, asking them to assess the services being rendered to them.

The Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Madewa Adebajo, assured the committee that the hospital would keep improving in health care services.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that committee also visited PHCs in Apapa council area.