Nigeria Representatives of Overseas Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (NIROPHARM) has said that only 13 per cent of therapeutic categories of drugs in use in the country has some form of local manufacturing. This, it acknowledged as it prescribed strategies for evolving sustainable local drug manufacturing policies.

The group at a meeting with the Minister of Health, Prof. Eyitayo Lambo, stressed that although local drug manufacture is very necessary and must be encouraged, government must first carry out independent audit of existing facilities, capacity of local drug manufacturers and set realistic targets while recognising the importance of economies of scale.

It also urged government to study the operating model of comparative African countries with successful local drug manufacturing.

Recently, the Presidential Committee on Pharmaceutical Matters recommended that 50 per cent of the nation's drug needs should be manufactured locally before 2005.

The national Co-ordinator of the group, Mr. Remi Adeseun explained that while the local drug production capacity can cope with over-the-counter drugs such as analgesics, anti-malaria, vitamin, antibiotics, intravenous fluids, antacids, antitussives, anthelminthics, germicides and anti-infective creams.

He stated that the nation has no capacity for non-paracetamol, acetyl-SA analgesics, non chloroquine, sulpha-based antimalarial, non-ampicillin or clox, cotrim or injection including non-Dextrose saline I. V.

"Local capacity exists only in about 10 therapeutic categories. There are at least 77 thearpeutic categories in active use in Nigeria healthcare practice", he stated.

"Some examples of key life saving therapeutic categories not locally manufactured, include anti-hypertensives, anti asthmatic, anti-inflammatory, ophthalmic preparations, anti-psychotics, anti-depressants, injectables, vaccines, anti-cancer and anti-infertility," he emphasised.

Adeseun stressed the root cause of the nation's drug import to inactive petro-chemical industry, poor infrastructure, unstable government policy, poor purchasing power, poor control of leakages and unfair competition.

He urged government to encourage local manufacturers to modernise their plants and be competitive in the processes of eliminating ineficiencies currently inherent in the system.