Expert urged Nigerians to avoid unmeasured quantity of drugs

Medical experts have called on Nigerians to avoid the unmeasured quantity of drug use in the country as medicines are prescribed as poison when used in excess.

The medical experts also said that drugs can only confer benefits to the body when used in measured quantity for stipulated period of time.

 

Lolu Ojo, the former chairman, National Drug Distribution Committee, stated this on Tuesday during a press conference organised by the West African postgraduate College of Pharmacists Kwara/Kogi zone held in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

 

 

 

Ojo, who warned against indiscriminate use of drugs, described drugs as chemical substances which synthesize or semi-synthesizes.

 

According to him, drugs react in a biological and systematic way and tend to change the pattern of behaviour of the system of the body.

 

Ojo explained that when drugs are used for the purpose not intended for, and then there is risk of psychological and physiological dependence.

 

 

He observed that drug abuse has eaten deep into the fabric of the society, adding that epidemiological survey previously carried out suggest existence of such societal problems.

 

The Pharmacist also cautioned people against excessive intake of alcohol, describing it also as drug.

 

“The community needs to look into problems of drug abuse. The responsibility is on everybody including the religious bodies, government, and health stakeholders,” he said.

 

He however, advocated for multi-dimensional approach to solving issues of drug abuse in the society, adding that what children are exposed to nowadays is different from what people were exposed to in yesteryears.

 

Ojo, therefore appealed to the Federal Government to commence implementation of the drug distribution centres, slated for January 2019.

 

Also speaking during the conference, Lawal Muhammad, of the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, lamented that about 90 per cent of hospitals in Nigeria are not in service of pharmacist.

 

He wondered why trainees or hospital technicians should be the ones dispensing drugs in hospital and not the Pharmacist, saying it is “abnormal”.