Cough syrup with codeine no longer to be sold on counter-Health Minister

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Written by Abdullateef Abubakar Jos

He expressed concern over the rising abuse of cough syrup with codeine, and said that the

ministry was taking drastic steps to regulate the availability of the drug.

The minister said that government was also committed to creating an enabling

environment for local pharmaceutical industries to thrive.

``We are in the process of inaugurating a National Drug Advisory Team and launch the

National Drug Distribution Guidelines on Feb. 7,'' he said.

Chukwu said the ministry was working to ensure that the regulatory bodies in the sector

carried out their functions effectively.

He said that the ministry was in the process of integrating traditional medicine practice into

the medical school curriculum.

The minister urged herbal medicine practitioners to go to medical schools, so as to equip

themselves with the requisite expert knowledge.

While assuring that he would continue to support the pharmaceutical society in his official

capacity, he called on herbal medicine practitioners to always lay emphasis on diagnosis

before prescribing drugs.

He also urged them to register their drugs with the National Agency for Food and Drug

Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

 Speaking earlier, Akintayo, commended the Federal Government for initiating a drug

distribution guideline for the country.