NHIA issues warning against drug diversion

Malam Mustapha Mohammed, the NHIA coordinator for Bauchi State, has issued a warning against diverting branded and approved medications intended for registrants in the state.

In a conversation with representatives of MDAs, hospitals, and health maintenance organisations (HMOs) on Wednesday in Bauchi, Mohammed issued the warning.

He claimed that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) would not accept the medications being diverted.

He added that no non-accredited clinic should have the medications on its shelves.

Mohammed said that in order to combat the out-of-stock issue, the agency had decided to mark 33 vital medications with the NHIA insignia.

He said that it would also guarantee long-term enrollment and an increase in the effectiveness of the medications given to enrollees by medical facilities across the country.

The NHIA coordinator noted that 12 indigenous pharmaceutical businesses and the authority had just recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

He added that in order to produce and distribute high-quality medications specifically for NHIA participants, they have inked an MoU with eight Drug Management Organisations (DMOs).

According to Mohammed, the NHIA picked seven states for the initial round of sensitization: Gombe, Niger, Jigawa, Sokoto, Osun, Enugu, and FCT.

According to him, the purpose of the sensitization was to inform stakeholders about the authority’s ongoing, extensive reforms.

He pointed out that the attempt to increase access to medicines was designed to shield participants from unsafe medications and lower the cost of those medications for Nigerians.

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Mohammed congratulated the authority’s management for introducing new operational standards that will give direction for the efficient rollout of NHIA initiatives and growth of the ecosystem for health insurance.

He cautioned stakeholders against breaking the new rules, claiming that the majority of the issues impeding health insurance’s smooth operation had been resolved.

To prevent defaulting, he asked participants to familiarise themselves with the new rules.

Shuaibu Rabiu of Remee Medicare, who served as the stakeholders’ representative, pledged that they would be willing to follow the new rules.

He requested NHIA to make sure the branded medications were available.

He urged the organisation to keep enrollees informed about the NHIA Act’s operationalization in 2022. (NAN)