ABUTH CMD Vows to End Drug Shortages at the Hospital

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, Professor Ahmed Umdagas  Hamidu, said the management was working hard to Stop drug shortages and ensure availability of all types of drugs needed in the hospital to cater for the needs of patients.

He made this known during a sensitization visit to the hospital by the officials of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOJESU).

He said: “Very soon, the issue of drugs being out of stock will become history as all hands are on deck to ensure that all drugs needed in the hospital are available at our Pharmacy. I want to assure you of my readiness to work with all the unions in this hospital.

ALSO READ: ABUTH: Team working to upgrade ABU Teaching Hospital through computerization of Service – CMD

“We are working hard to address the issue of inadequate number of staff that different sectors of the hospital are facing. We are ready to judiciously utilize the funds of the hospital in order to address the different challenges that we have.”

Speaking, the leader of the JOHESU team, Pharm Akintayo Olumide, a former President of the  Pharmaceutical Society of  Nigeria, urged the management to give priority to the welfare of the union’s members, saying that JOHESU should be seen as partners in moving the country’s health sector forward.

Chairman JOHESU ABUTH, Lawal Taofeeq  Babsalam,  said their chapter is working in collaboration with other in-house unions to restore ABUTH to its former place of pride.

Drug shortages found to be a Global-wide problem – Survey

Drug shortages aren’t a problem peculiar to ABUTH, according to a recent survey, it is a globally growing problem affecting even advanced countries like the UK as well as across Europe.

According to a Pharmaceutical Group of European Union (PGEU) survey, pharmacy associations in most European countries admitted to having experienced medicine shortages in 2019, while 92 percent of the countries reported shortages affecting patient’s trust in community pharmacies.

In the majority of responding countries, over 200 medicines were listed as being in short supply and pharmacy staff was said to be spending an average of six hours per week on dealing with shortages.

The survey also identified a gap in information, tools and legal solution to community pharmacists in many European countries for providing the solution to patients in case of a shortage.

“All responding countries indicated that they believe medicine shortages caused distress and inconvenience to patients,” it further revealed.