PCN Says CWC Concept Will Clean-up Drug Distribution System In Nigeria

The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), has described the establishment of the Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC), as a welcome development to sanitise drug distribution system.

Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the CWC Atoba, Idemili South Local Government LGA of Anambra State, the PCN Registrar, Pharm Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, said the initiative is geared towards the closure and relocation of the Onitsha overhead drug market to the regulated centre.

At the ceremony performed by Anambra State Governor, Prof Charles Soludo, Ahmed said that the move would bring sanity to the drug distribution channel system in the country.

He argued that the CWC concept is aimed at improving access to quality, effective and safe medicines. This will inadvertently eliminate the circulation of falsified and counterfeit medicines in the country.

“The concept of coordinated wholesale center(CWC) was approved by the Federal Government in 2015 with the goal to relocate the stakeholders in drug business that are operating in the open markets across the country which are unregulated and characterized with unwholesome activities to regulated centre as CWC.”

Anambra State along with three other States namely, Lagos, Abia and Kano were the first set of States granted approval for the establishment of CWC.

“The PCN granted the location approval of this site, Oba, to the Central Pharmaceutical and Allied Products (CPAPWL), the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for the stakeholders in the Bridge-Head market, Onitsha after the successful location approval inspection was conducted on October 20, 2016.

“The location approval was subsequently conveyed on November 04, 2016 to enable the SPV to commence development of the CWC in compliance with the approved design. Let me restate that we are grateful to Mr Governor for bringing this project to life after several years of unwarranted delay.”

According to Ahmed, the other two states that were among the first set of states granted approval for CWC commenced construction activities immediately they were granted location approval.