The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rasidi Ladoja, has called on pharmacists to integrate local herbs in the production of drugs and other medicinal products.
Ladoja, a former governor of Oyo State, noted that this will help to reduce over dependence on foreign drugs and support local production.
The traditional ruler made the call at an event in Oyo, on Thursday.
Ladoja also called on pharmacists to integrate and collaborate with local herbal practitioners, saying this will help to reduce dependence on foreign medicines.
He said, “How can we collaborate to ensure we use local herbs with the modern ones to ensure better results? From my experience, I have a friend whose child has an ailment. He was treated. It is effective and efficient. It has been tested.
“It is for us to have an, open mind, please I want to appeal again, let us embrace them. These people, incorporate them. If the need be, you do some tests, you can do so”.
In his address, the president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, in Oyo, Victor Ajanaku, called on the federal government to implement policies that will encourage local production of drugs.
He said “Local production of drugs, it is not even production. Government policies do not give pharmacists approval for local production of drugs.
“It is until the government makes favourable policies, that is when we can have local production of drugs. The government should make the enabling environment to encourage us. Because there are some hindrances.”
Integrate local herbs in production of drugs – Olubadan tells pharmacists