Recession: Health Crisis Imminent As Drug Prices Skyrocket

Nigerians waiting to buy drugs at a state hospital

There is a growing fear among Nigerians for their health due to the dearth and rising cost of imported drugs occasioned by economic recession.

SUNDAY PUNCH report continues:

A groundnut seller, Mrs. Temitope Alebiosu, hums a song as she carefully ties a wrap of the nuts which costs ₦20 each.

Alebiosu, who has been battling malaria for two weeks, occasionally wipes her soot stained hands with the tip of her faded white, dirty wrapper. The smoke from the extinguished firewood swirls around her but she is unperturbed.

“The costs of drugs are unbelievable. I have had malaria for two weeks. The last time I visited a pharmacy to buy antimalarial drugs; I was shocked. A drug I used to buy for ₦200 now costs ₦700. Some months ago, whenever I had malaria, I could treat it within three days but now I cannot,” she says in response to our correspondent’s enquiry.

Nigerians now pay more

Some kilometres away from Mrs. Alebiosu, is Mr. Michael Anifowose, a small-scale business owner.

He also laments about the increase in the prices of drugs, adding that many Nigerians cannot afford quality treatment with the current situation in the country.

He states, “Drugs have increased by 300 per cent. I am really pained. This rise may also increase the death rate in the country. I used to buy paracetamol for ₦20 now it is sold for ₦50.’’

Anifowose disclosed that the daughter of a male acquaintance lost her life because of her father’s inability to buy her drugs.

The situation is not different with Mrs. Omoshade Talabi, a businesswoman, who says she now buys pain killers for ₦150. The drug used to cost between N50 and N70.

“People are now going for herbs. Many have stopped using modern drugs. Herbal products are much cheaper. This recession is no longer funny. Nigerians are suffering. How long would we continue like this?” she says.

Also, a businesswoman, Mrs. Mary Emeruwa, says she does not seem to understand why prices of drugs have become unreasonably high.

Despite not used to buying drugs constantly before the recession, Emeruwa notes that the few ones she bought some weeks ago were expensive.

She says, “Imagine a family man who earns ₦20,000 as salary. How would he manage to buy drugs and food for his family? If any of his children needs medical attention, getting money might be a challenge for him.”

She narrates how she went searching for a particular drug at Ogba area of Lagos only to learn that it had become scarce.

“Pharmacists do not want to buy drugs that will remain on their shelves unsold for a long time,” Emeruwa says.

Drug scarcity hits hospitals, pharmacies

Speaking about the reason for the high cost of drugs, a consultant pharmacist, Mrs. Uwaeme Ugonma, says many drugs are now scarce because companies do not have the financial capacity to access foreign exchange to import drugs.

“Most companies that used to import drugs can no longer do so. The scarcity of drugs is first linked to recession then to the high foreign exchange rate. A lot of multinational companies have folded up and their workers retrenched. Most of these companies have not imported drugs since the beginning of this year and those that did and managed to sell, could not purchase more drugs with the proceeds from previous sales,” she says.

She disclosed that folic acid which used to sell for ₦200 is now ₦1,500.

She adds that most antibiotics, antihypertensive and anti-diabetic drugs have doubled in prices, including anaesthetic and anticancer drugs.

Hospitals across the country are feeling the heat. Many of them say they are experiencing scarcity of drugs.

This is the scenario in Abake Hospital located in Osogbo, Osun State.

A worker in the medical facility who chose to remain anonymous says the hospital is experiencing scarcity of all types of drugs.

The worker says, “The prices of drugs have tripled; we are experiencing scarcity of all types of drugs. Nigeria is currently in a terrible situation. I only pray we get out of the situation soonest.”

Also in Nasarawa State, a staff at Ettal Clinic and Maternity, Mrs. Amina Usman, in an interview, says dearth of drug is the major problem the hospital is battling with.

Usman notes, “We are barely managing to buy drugs. Many drugs have become scarce. A particular drug which we have not been able to get is atropine injection. For one reason or the other, we have just not been able to buy the drug. This particular drug is used in the theatre.”

According to a health website, news-medical.net, atropine injection is given before anaesthesia to decrease mucus secretion, such as saliva. During anaesthesia and surgery, atropine is used to keep the heart beat normal.

Even in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, scarcity of drugs in hospitals is commonplace. At Bepos Clinic and Maternity in the Garki area, an official, Mr. John Uzoka, says it is not a good time for hospitals.

“Almost all drugs are scarce; hospitals are not smiling at the moment. This is not a convenient time at all. Drugs have become so expensive hence scarcity is inevitable,” he says.

In Taraba State, Gateway Clinic located in the state is also said to be experiencing scarcity of drugs, according to one of the workers who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The employee says, “Drugs have become so expensive leading to scarcity. At the moment, it is not all drugs we buy. If we buy expensive drugs, no one would buy them. Nigerians cannot afford them now. What we do is to buy a few and leave out others so we can balance the situation.”

In Lagos State, Ms. Remi Adebayo, who works at Daplar Pharmacy, explains that the increase in the prices of drugs is between 200 and 300 per cent.

According to her, the prices of drugs are increasing on a daily basis.

“Our pharmacy may not be experiencing scarcity of drugs on a large scale, but it does not mean we are not feeling the heat. Customers are complaining of the prices of drugs, but there is little we can do,’’ she states.

Adebayo says a drug which used to be sold for ₦950 now costs ₦1,400.

Findings by our correspondent show that syringes which sold for ₦10 each is now ₦40 while Rocephin injection which was sold for ₦2,000 now costs ₦3,800.

This disturbing situation is what made an employee of Cedith Integrated Limited, a pharmaceutical company in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Mr. Joseph Madu, to say that in the next six months, Nigerians may not see drugs to buy if the current economic situation persists.

Madu notes, “To say that drugs are scarce is an understatement; things are getting worse. Companies that used to import drugs do not have the money to access foreign exchange even in the parallel markets to buy drugs. Local companies that need raw materials to produce drugs do not also have the required money to purchase them.’’

According to him, there are many drugs which are no longer available and they only buy drugs which they can sell to customers.

“People are turning to alternative means. We are praying to God to intervene. In the next six months to one year, many people may die. As drugs are getting expensive, they are also becoming scarce. Imagine a person buying a drug for ₦5,000 and same drug sold for ₦1,000 some months ago. If the person needs four of the drugs, how would the person cope?” he laments.

Influx of counterfeit drugs

Some dubious manufacturers are cashing in on the increasing scarcity of drugs to flood the markets with substandard ones.

Aside complaining about antihypertensive and antidiabetic drugs which he says have become scarce, a health worker at Dammy Memorial Hospital, Akwa Ibom, Mr. Emmanuel Effiong, says there is an influx of fake drugs into the country.

Speaking with reporters, Effiong says fake drug manufacturers are cashing in on the scarcity of drugs.

“They are flooding the markets with fake drugs. Nigerians need to be on the alert,” he states.

A mother of two and business lady, Mrs. Precious Egunjobi, says fake drugs are sold at a cheaper rate.

“I once witnessed a case whereby a sales representative at a chemist sold fake drugs to me. It was the low price of the drug that alerted my senses. Sadly, the poor patronize them because of the high cost of original drugs but it is hazardous to the health of the users,” she says.

A consultant clinical pharmacist, Charles Nwako, says some pharmaceutical companies are guilty of hoarding quality drugs.

Acknowledging that there is a shortage of quality drugs, he adds that merchants of fake and substandard drugs try to flood the market with cheap and low quality drugs.

Last month, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control in Enugu raised the alarm over the influx of fake, adulterated and sub-standard malaria drugs in open markets across the country.

Prior to this, the Federal Government alerted Nigerians to the circulation of two falsified versions of quinine sulphate in Cameroon and Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Nwako says the issue of fake drugs is one of Nigeria’s biggest problems that must be decisively dealt with.

Earlier this year, a survey conducted by NOIPolls, revealed that 18 per cent of respondents said they had ‘personally purchased or used fake drugs or medicine.’

Another 13 per cent knew someone who had done the same. Nearly 70 per cent of those who believed they used fake or counterfeit drugs got their supply from an independent pharmacy or chemist and another 14 per cent bought theirs from drug hawkers.

Among those who believed they took fake drugs, 35 percent had no idea that what they consumed was fake until they felt no improvement in their health even after completing the indicated dosage. Another 29 per cent had an idea that the drugs they bought were fake because they experienced adverse reactions. In three per cent of cases involving fake drug, deaths were recorded.

Made-in-Nigeria drugs to the rescue

Aside turning to substandard drugs, many Nigerians say they now buy locally manufactured drugs.

A businessman, Mr. Aladeloye Adetoye, urges the Federal Government to support local drug manufacturers.

“This period, I urge the Federal Government to look towards local drug manufacturers. Now is the time to strengthen the production of locally manufactured drugs,” he says.

A pharmacist in the Department of Pharmacognosy and Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Peculiar Onyekere, notes that locally manufactured drugs must be certified and registered with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.

Onyekere, however, states that local drugs are fewer in the market because the manufacturers get little or no financial support from the government.

A clinical pharmacist at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Mrs. Ogochukwu Onwujekwe, is of the view that there are no problems consuming locally made drugs.

She says, “Made-in-Nigeria drugs are equally good. Most of the companies making them are properly certified by NAFDAC. The companies go through quality assurance stage and other phases. I have visited some of them and I was impressed by what I saw.”

She, however, notes that many of the companies are finding it difficult importing raw materials to enhance the drug production.

“I support the promotion of locally manufactured drugs. I believe it would be cheaper for us, considering the hike in the prices of imported drugs. I learnt that the charges on the importation of their raw materials are higher whereas companies importing drugs are not so charged,’’ Onwujekwe adds.

African countries looking inwards

Earlier this year, Ghanaian President, John Mahama, in a bid to promote Made-in-Ghana products, granted local drug companies, through the Export Trade, Agricultural & Industrial Development Fund, about US$26 million to help expand their businesses.

Also, by next year, South Africa hopes to have its own first antiretroviral drugs, via its newly established state-owned pharmaceutical firm, Ketlaphela.

This indicates that there will be lower prices for ARVs, less stock outs, job creation and development of indigenous skill base.

Similarly in August, the government of Kenya unfolded new incentives expected to boost local production of medicines for importation to countries such as India and China.

The country’s Health Cabinet Secretary, Cleopa Mailu, assures the citizens that his ministry is working on a package to be unveiled soon.

If the initiative sails through, according to Mailu, it will empower local drug manufacturers, remove tariff barriers, combat sub-standard products and support human capital development.

Efforts to get the reaction of the Federal Government on its plan for local drug manufacturers were abortive as the Director, Media and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs. Boade Akinola, did not pick calls made to her mobile phone.

Meanwhile, President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Ahmed Yakasai, says the agency had charged the Federal Government to invest in the pharmaceutical sector.

Yakasai says, “This can be done through pharmaceutical expansion fund or grant, given to the industry, just like the way Ghana has done. Ghana has expanded its local drug manufacturing sector. It now produces drugs and export them to Nigeria. There is a national drug policy that says 70 per cent government production and 30 per cent importation, but the reverse is happening in Nigeria.’’

He also states that local drug manufacturers are finding it difficult to source for raw materials to produce drugs.