TheNewsGuru

Tag: ACPN

  • Nigerians warned against using antibiotics without prescription

    Nigerians warned against using antibiotics without prescription

    The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, (ACPN) has issued out strong warnings to Nigerians against using antibiotics without a prescription from a pharmacist.

    According to ACPN, it’s risky and injurious to take antibiotics without a prescription from a pharmacist.

    This was made known by Aderemi Ladigbolu, ACPN National Chairman, Pharmacist during a one-day workshop organised by the Commonwealth Partnership for Antimicrobial Stewardship Scheme in collaboration with the ACPN Oyo State chapter.

    Tagged:   “Community Antimicrobial Stewardship in an LMIC: The Role of Community Pharmacists,” was attended by over 120 participants, including pharmacists, doctors, other health professionals and academics.

    Aderemi, while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the event on Thursday, explained that the major aim of the event was to prevent abuse and misuse of antibiotics among Nigerians.

    He advised the citizens to always get a prescription from a pharmacist before taking any antibiotics.

    According to Aderemi: “We are here to look at the problem of antimicrobials in our society. Antibiotics are very important in the healthcare system. It is one of the most commonly prescribed medicines. It saves lives.

    “When there is resistance to those antibacterials, lives will be lost, the drugs will be ineffective, more people will be in the hospital and it stretches our healthcare system to its limit not only economically but also to the human resources.

    “When there is antimicrobial resistance, people spend money on ineffective treatment and that is why we are here. We have community pharmacists here, and we have medical doctors here. We have people from the Oyo state government here to look at policies that can enhance the good use of antimicrobials. That is why we are here.

    “We want to prevent misuse of antibiotics, we want to ensure that they are used rationally. We want to ensure that antibiotics are not used when they are not needed.

    “You see, in our society, some people, after doing one thing or another, want to swallow Ampiclox. That is not right. Ampiclox is a drug that is taken four times a day. When you just swallow and do not finish the dose, you kill some of the bacteria and weaken the others. Those other ones that you are weakening, by the time you need the antibiotics against them, it will not be effective because they have learned to live with the antibiotics.

    “What we are saying is to give antibiotics when it is necessary. Give antibiotics when there is evidence that the antibiotics will kill the bacteria. Don’t misuse antibiotics. Use it as directed by the pharmacist. When it comes to antibiotics, don’t self-medicate.”

     

  • Kogi, Bayelsa polls: Supreme Court dismisses ACPN, FJP’s appeal against INEC

    Kogi, Bayelsa polls: Supreme Court dismisses ACPN, FJP’s appeal against INEC

    The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed two separate appeals filled by the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) and Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The ACPN and FJP had instituted separate actions over what they called their parties’ unlawful exclusion from the November 16, 2019, Kogi and Bayelsa states’ governorship elections.

    Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, who led a five-man panel of justices, dismissed the cases, which had been withdrawn by the appellants’ counsel.

    Justice Ngwuta described the cases as academic which cannot be heard.

    “This case, having been withdrawn and there being no objection, is hereby dismissed and all parties bear their costs,” he said.

    Lead counsel to both appellants (ACPN and FJP), A. Adamson, who had told the panel that his clients came to the apex court to obtain justice, eventually withdrew the case.

    Counsel to INEC, Mr. S. O. Ibrahim, told the court that he had no objection to the withdrawal of the appeal and that his client was not asking for costs.

    Both parties claimed that they were unlawfully excluded from the elections, even after complying with the election timetable issued by the electoral umpire.

    They claimed they did their governorship primaries in Lokoja and Yenagoa on September 5, 2019, in the presence of the representatives of the INEC and met all other election requirements.

    But the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal in Abuja dismissed the cases.

    Both parties went to the apex court for proper interpretation of the law, having been displeased with the judgements of the two lower courts.

    They prayed the court to enforce their rights to participate in the elections, declare all INEC’s actions null and void and of no consequence and subsequently order for fresh elections.

    NAN reports that Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, in two judgments on October 25, 2019, affirmed INEC’s decision to reject the candidates.

    The court’s decision was based on the grounds that they were statute-barred.

    Justice Ojukwu held that INEC took its decision based on its constitutional powers to reject any candidates after finding that both parties failed to comply with its deadline for the submission of candidates’ lists and nomination forms.

  • Ezekwesili resigns membership of ACPN few days after dumping presidential ambition

    Ezekwesili resigns membership of ACPN few days after dumping presidential ambition

    Former presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, ACPN, Oby Ezekwesili has officially resigned from the party.

    Recall that the former minister made headlines last week when she officially dumped her presidential aspirants to allow for a coalition of third force against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and major opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming 2019 general elections.

    The former minister of education said she has returned ACPN membership card and all other items in her possession to the party.

    Details shortly…

  • Breaking: Ezekwesili declares for president, emerges ACPN presidential candidate

    Obiageli Ezekwesili popularly known as Oby Ezekwesili has finally officially declared intention to contest post of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the 2019 general election under the Allied Congress Progressives Party (ACPN).
    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Oby made her intention known on Sunday stressing that her decision is based on self-conviction, and that there already “a multi-million-person national grassroots organisation across the 36 states of Nigeria”.
    “I am announcing not as an aspirant, but as a candidate running under the flag of the ACPN. Our party primaries held today, and I have humbly accepted the nomination.
    “To show that we mean business, especially as we have already started building a multi-million-person national grassroots organisation across the 36 states of Nigeria.
    “I have spent the past few weeks engaged across the country and internationally and I have fully persuaded myself, by myself, that the one thing I hate more than politics is politicians who believe they are untouchable by citizens because of power and money.
    “My friends who have fully assumed their role as #OfficeOfTheCitizen, what started as my being aggrieved with the despair and despondency across the country, and the failure of governance by the #APCPDP has now become an urgent national movement.
    “This is why, today, in response to the candidates of the #ACPPDP, I have officially declared my candidacy to run as a citizen, alongside you and other citizens, for President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2019.
    “Our message is HOPE. Our hashtag is #Hope2019. Let the old order politicians of the #APCPDP be thereby put on notice that us citizens did not come here to play. We are in it to win it, for 2019.,” she stated.
     

  • NAFDAC seeks stakeholders support to curb drug abuse in Taraba

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) and other stakeholders to assist its fight against substance abuse in Taraba.

    The agency’s Coordinator, Mr. Suleiman Muyideen, made the appeal in a statement on Wednesday in Jalingo.

    The statement expressed concerns over the alarming rate of substance abuse and general non-compliance with the agency’s enabling laws.

    “We took four consecutive days to hold series of meetings with all the stakeholders, where we solicited their support in ensuring that only genuine, effective and safe regulated products are manufactured in the state.

    “We deliberated on several issues, especially the alarming rate of substance abuse as it relates to cough syrup with codeine, tramadol as well as mobile authentication of anti-malaria drugs and antibiotics.

    “There was also discussions on banned drugs such as Nimesulide, Analgin (Dipyron), Gentamycin 280mg and Phenylpopanolamine among others with a view to stopping the abuse,’’ it said.

    The statement noted that in the four days, the agency also met with relevant stakeholders, including the National Association of Patent and Proprietary of Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED) and National Association of Nigeria Traditional Medicine Practitioners (NANTMP).

    Others are Herbal and Islamic Medicine practitioners, Non-Pharmacists operators of Pharmacies and Veterinary Drug Dealers.

    It added that the agency would no longer tolerate acts of non-compliance with its enabling laws by any individual or group in the state.