Rapid Reforms at Pharmacy Board
Sierra Leone’s foremost agency for the protection of the public health of the nation-Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone (PBSL) Sierra Express has learnt has met swift reforms to ensuring among other things that it works become effective and the nation’s health is preserved.
Whilst the Board was able to make the record of drastically reducing the rate of fake and expired drugs in registered pharmaceutical outlets in the country from around 70% to under 10% in 2009, it has also been revealed that almost two billion Leones worth of confiscated counterfeit and substandard drugs were publicly destroyed; serving as deterrent to those that taken upon the importation and smuggling of such products.
Sierra Express Media has also been able to learn that since the government in 2007 brought in the new registrar of the Pharmacy Board Wiltshire CN Johnson, the administration and effectiveness of the board in executing its state duty has also seem phenomenal improvement. Health Ministry officials who spoke to this press assert that whereas the Board used to be operated as a one-man-affair, WCN Johnson has since his taking over ensured those roles and functions are requisitely delegated and proper control and record system achieved for transparency and effectiveness in its service delivery in the country.
Board members under the guidance of the Registrar has also ensured that a deputy registrar in the person of James P. Komeh is appointed, a move officers at the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and a cross section of civil society heads have lauded and seen as expedient enough if seriousness must be put into the achievement of a cleaner public health in the country. Added to this, it has been learnt that many other relevant departments will be unveiled at the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone that will march up with the mammoth task and constitutional responsibility given to the Board to regulate all drugs, pharmaceutical products and cosmetics with the borders of Sierra Leone.
Another laudable venture the board has embarked on is that of the improvement of its staff capacity to deliver on their mandate to maintain a serine health care service delivery in Sierra Leone. “Wiltshire Johnson has ensured that all Heads of Departments and general staff attain various trainings pertinent to their job descriptions and mandate†Sahr E. Gbomor; one of the HODs told Sierra Express in a snap interview earlier this week; adding that “the vast many of us have been equipped in just the past two years in various areas of standard drugs and pharmaceutical regulatory service deliveryâ€.
Sahr. E. Gbomor revealed to this medium that “under the leadership of the current registrar and with the help of government and its development partners; a new structure befitting the work of the PBSL has been attained which he said will ensure that its offices and department are all housed in the new headquarters located at New England Ville in Freetown.
Talking to Mr. Johnson in a telephone interview, he said “Sierra Leone is all we got as Sierra Leoneans and so I see no reason why we must not give our all to ensuring we lift it from the drains of underdevelopment and backwardness to a state that we can be proud to refer to our motherland. Our work at the Pharmacy Board is a huge task but the Board, myself and my staff take it as our own little challenge in the service to our nation as depicted in the current drive of agenda for change instituted by the President of the Republic†he added.
Asked what his next move is in respect of the public health assurance in the country, WCN Johnson said “we have come a long way in the fight against the evils of fake medicines in the country’s pharmaceutical market but the challenges to come are still very plenty and chief amongst them is the issue of weak regulatory laws governing drug peddling, the smuggling of fake drugs expired drugs. God been our helper and with the current willingness of the Vice President Hon Sam-Sumana who acts as Minister of Health and the Deputy Health Minster Hon. Mohamed Doudis Koroma; we are moving swiftly to the reformation and repealing of the Drugs and Pharmaceutical Act of 2001 in a bid to ensuring that the law is able to serve as deterrent to committing crimes against the health of the citizenryâ€.
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