The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has called on the National Assembly (NASS) to pass an Act of parliament dedicated to a Drug Revolving Fund (DRF).
Speaking for PSN was Pharm. (Prof.) Cyril Usifoh, its National President, noted that the DRF Act will enhance the supply and quality assurance of essential drugs, therapeutic medical devices, and hospital consumables at an affordable cost.
This proposed legislation aims to strengthen the accessibility and affordability of crucial healthcare items for the Nigerian population, Usifoh said in a statement made available to Independent Newspapers.
The PSN boss stressed the importance of establishing a sustainable mechanism, such as the DRF Act, to ensure the availability of essential medications and medical supplies in the country.
Further, PSN recommended a dialogue between NASS and the Presidency to catalyse the full implementation of the Basic National Healthcare Provision Fund which is an accrual that will flow from one percent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, Usifoh said.
He commended the House of Representatives in the statement titled, “Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) Commends House of Representatives for Considering Motion on the Collapse of Drug Revolving Funds (DRF) in Public Health Institutions.”
The PSN President also applauded the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and the House of Representatives which have already declared a state of emergency in the Health Sector.
The statement reads, “The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has the National Assembly (NASS) to promulgate an Act of parliament which will revolve specifically on a Drug Revolving Fund (DRF) Act to strengthen the supply and quality assurance of essential drugs, therapeutic medical devices, and hospital consumables at affordable cost.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has called on the National Assembly (NASS) to pass a new Act of parliament focused on creating a Drug Revolving Fund (DRF) to improve the accessibility and quality of essential drugs, medical devices, and hospital consumables at affordable prices.
“The PSN has commended the House Committee on Health Institutions for considering a motion on the collapse of the Drug Revolving Fund (DRF) in Federal Health Institutions (FHIs).
“In the thrilling discourse set by the House Committee, the PSN recalled that the DRF is a creation of the old Essential Drug Decree 43 of 1989 which is now entrenched in the statutes as Cap 252 LFN 2004.
“Ordinarily, this should compel all health institutions to embrace the DRF concept which was working very well up to the mid-nineties before the major tenets of the scheme as spelled out in the DRF manuals were truncated by the various hospital management.
“Some of the major highlights of the DRF scheme compel operators to guarantee Cost Recovery Mechanisms which is the philosophy behind a revolving fund with regards to basic norms in resource management.
“To ensure Cost Recovery in DRF, the enabling manuals prescribe that the DRF Committee must have a Project Manager who is usually the HOD/Director of Pharmacy in the FHIs and an Accountant who will be co-signatories to insist that DRF are not diverted from the core responsibility of making drugs available in public health facilities.”
The statement noted that the PSN has observed a systematic debasement of the DRF concept by the different Hospital managements particularly because they romanced fatalistic foreign spirits antithetical to the growth of the DRF schemes.
READ MORE: Independent