A recent report by Bloomberg put Nigeria as the most counterfeit market in the developing world, occupying a top seat among African countries losing thousands of citizens annually to fake drugs.
In an earlier report published by another international media organisation, it corroborated the unenviable position, quoting the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control as having described the country as “the developing world’s largest counterfeit drugs market.”
This explains why, at regular intervals, officers of the Nigeria Customs Service in collaboration with other sister agencies like the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, announce the confiscation and subsequent destruction of containers of substandard drugs imported into the country.
The attendant damages to lives and the well-being of citizens are quite worrisome. Health experts and other relevant stakeholders say that some of the predominant health issues in society today, ranging from loss of sight, hearing defects, kidney and liver issues, cancer to untimely deaths are caused or triggered by substandard drugs and/or abuse.
The Chief Laboratory Technologist of the agency, Usman Amen, who led the investigation and enforcement of the directorate team from Lagos, said the store was discovered for selling unregistered and expired drugs. Adeyeye, who was represented at the exercise by the NAFDAC Director, of Investigation and Enforcement, Francis Ononiwu, said the products were seized from manufacturers, importers and distributors in other to safeguard the health of the entire citizens of the nation.
He said the scratch and text system is where every medicine has number codes that could be used to confirm whether a particular drug is counterfeit or not, which started in the year 2010. “We started this scratch and text with antibiotic drugs because that is Abubakar disclosed that NAFDAC also has public enlightenment programmes to enable the agency equip people with useful information because information is power.
Abubakar noted that the dangers of counterfeit drugs cannot be over-emphasised because everyone in the society is a potential victim, even the NAFDAC workers, which is why the agency fights to ensure zero tolerance on counterfeit drugs. buying drugs exposed to sunlight, they should only buy drugs at the registered pharmacies, and ask questions for their personal safety.”
He explained that NDLEA, on its part, collaborates with NAFDAC in ensuring that measures are put in place to prevent drug counterfeiting. support system that will ensure access to genuine drugs and controlled substances for medical and strategic purposes whileThe National Chairman, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria , Pharm. Adewale Oladigbolu said his association has over the years committed to ensuring safe and efficacious medicines, through technologies to prevent use of counterfeit drugs.
clinical trials, genomic variations and the involvement of Pharmacists across all the technical groups. He said. “Pharmacists should practice within the laws stipulated and, please do not revalidate expire regulated products nor engage in any fraudulent practices.
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