•Task FG to strengthen NHIS
By Chioma Obinna

THE Society for Pharmaceutical Sales and Marketing of Nigeria (SPSMN) has urged the federal government to come up with 20 to 50 years of health and pharmaceutical drug security plans as it is obtained in developed economies if Nigeria must move forward progressively.

Speaking at its 2024 induction of new members and investiture of fellows held in Lagos, the President of the Society, Pharma, Tunde Oyeniran, who expressed fear over the future of Nigerians – health-wise maintained that for Nigeria to move forward economically, its health sector must be a top priority of the government in real-time.

“There must be deliberate policies to support indigenous producers and reduce the cost of operations and materials. What takes your money are health, food, and accommodation as basic needs, but health strikes when you least plan and it would consume a lot of money you didn’t plan for.”

Oyeniran who confirmed that 27 new members were inducted as fellows, Honorary Members, and Regular cadres, reminded Nigeria’s economic managers that without the functional structure of the health insurance scheme, Nigerians are in for doom, saying, “Though the government has made a universal law, so it’s not optional now, we all must have health insurance but more advocacy is needed so that people can understand what it means and why they have to do it.

“State government can afford to pay 70 percent of health insurance for the first three years and people are happy to pay 30 percent, and they will see the benefits. Without the health insurance, there is no way we can survive it.

“Government needs to make capital access to the health care industry at a lesser rates and conditions.

“There should be funds for health security, India has overtaken us, because their government supports them. We (everyone in the pharma value chain) need to reset our attitude and as a professional, you need to build personal relationships.”

He appreciates the federal government’s Executive Order on drugs and related products but decried the poor knowledge level of the masses concerning health matters.
He added that if there was going to be a special senior assistant and all manner of aides who would talk directly to the president and he understand the healthcare challenges, the president should have specialists as advisers.

“The executive order would not solve all the problems, it can probably impact 15 percent and they’re not immediate. The free import tariff only benefits importers what about others within?” he queried.

Delivering the keynote address, the Chairman of Media Reach (OMD) Nigeria, Dr. George Thorpe who spoke on “Pharma Sales & Marketing: Professionalism And Thriving in Turbulent Times” said the skyrocketing cost of pharmaceutical products is a purely economic issue.

Thorpe categorically said that those who are presenting themselves as Nigerian leaders need to understand the importance of managing inflation. He asserted that the difference between Nigeria and developed economies is inflation.

“Over there, when inflation rises to 3-5 per cent, they sack the government, but here we are running at 30 percent.

“There is something wrong with the person’s head. Because it destroys Life, business, and the future. For God’s sake, any government that does not bring down inflation at five percent and does not keep it at that level should be sacked” he asseverated.

Some members of the Society received various categories of awards from the Authority for their contributions towards the promotion of sales, marketing, and distribution of pharmaceutical products, a strategy the Society deploys to motivate its members. Chief Pharm, Olubunmi Olaopa, and Sir Pharm Ifeanyi Atueyi were given lifetime awards.