Chijioke Iremeka
Local drug manufacturers and medical experts across the country have attributed the hike in the prices of locally manufactured drugs to the high cost of production.
The Executive Secretary of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Mr Frank Muonemeh, said that the cost of labour, power generation, and other inputs make locally manufactured drugs and products expensive.
He noted that the high cost of diesel, among others are the factors that manufacturers do not have control over but make their running costs very high.
“Diesel was selling at N650 last year but now sells around N1,060 or more. If we put the prices of locally manufactured products based on our production cost, the average Nigerian will not afford the drugs,” he said.
Muonemeh lamented that access to safe drugs, affordability, and availability will be a mirage if local production is not prioritised, saying that end-to-end distribution also adds to the cost of production.
“Some of us are just holding forth due to patriotism. We don’t make profits again. The government needs to start funding pharmaceuticals to produce these generic drugs. If the film industry, the health sector can do it. Also, insurance will do a lot to remove out-of-pocket spending,” he maintained.
On alternative ways to drive down the price of locally made drugs, the Executive Secretary, Anambra State Primary Health Agency, Chisom Uchem, said the forces of demand and supply will help to drive down the price of locally manufactured drugs.
He noted that the shift from orthodox medicine to alternative medicine would reduce the concentration on foreign-made drugs and drive down prices.
She said, “Dogonyaro has been good in the treatment of fever. Quinine, also obtained from the bark of certain trees, is good for the treatment of malaria and other ailments too. What we need to do is to conduct research on them and get them refined to be better.
“The Nigeria Institute of Medical Research can look into research and development to find ways of promoting alternative medicine in Nigeria so that we can have our brand. The government should pay attention to encouraging research and development in schools.
“The government’s willingness to support research and development will make more people want to go into research and development of more alternative drugs.”
She further noted that with the government giving incentives to those who want to go into research and development of alternative medicines, more people will key in and begin to develop more drugs that Nigerians can use to treat common illnesses, thereby, driving down drug prices.
“To get this done, we also need to have a regulation for our prescription products. If we do this, we will no longer depend on imported drugs but locally manufactured drugs that can serve the teaming population of Nigeria.”
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