President Bola Tinubu is set to issue an executive order to address the rising cost of drugs and pharmaceutical products in Nigeria.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate made this known during a ministerial briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.
Prof Pate said the executive order, which will soon be issued, will curb rising drug prices in the short term.
“The rising cost of pharmaceuticals is a pressing concern, and we are taking decisive action to address this issue,” he said.
“Our mid to long-term goal involves the domestication of imported drugs within the next three years, in collaboration with the trade ministry.”
Rising cost of drugs
The significant surge in drug prices started last year following the departure of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Nigeria Plc, the second-largest drug producer in the country.
GSK terminated its marketing and distribution agreement in August, opting for third-party distributors to handle the sale of their medications and vaccines in Nigeria.
Additionally, Sanofi and several other foreign pharmaceutical companies have declared their plans to exit Nigeria.
Pharmaceutical industry experts also attribute the escalating drug costs in the country to a depreciating currency, hoarding, importation of drugs and raw materials at high values, and elevated tariffs on pharmaceutical imports.
Action plan
At the briefing, Prof Pate disclosed that the government, in partnership with drug management agencies has initiated the construction of pharmaceutical-grade warehouses in 21 states
He said two additional warehouses at the federal level are also underway, complemented by the installation of the Warehousing Management Information System (WMIS) – M Supply, in these 21 pharma-grade warehouses.
“This infrastructure development aligns with our commitment to improving health outcomes for citizens nationwide,” he said.
Prof Pate said these projects, which commenced in October, will be commissioned in April this year.
He added that the implementation of the WMIS is expected to significantly enhance accountability and transparency, ensuring the potency of public health medicines and other health commodities.
He said the government has taken strides in advancing healthcare data management.
“Essential medicines and narcotics utilization across the three levels of healthcare have been successfully boarded onto the National Health Logistics Management Information System (NHLMIS) platform,” he said.
“This decisive step not only strengthens our international image by enhancing medicines reporting but also establishes a robust framework for monitoring and optimizing the supply chain.”