Jumoke Olasunkanmi
In a renewed effort to tackle the alarming prevalence of Substandard and Falsified (SF) medicines in Nigeria, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced that it will collaborate with stakeholders within the pharmaceutical supply chain to ensure the safety and efficacy of medical products across the nation.
During a recent stakeholders meeting, NAFDAC’s Director General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye emphasized the significance of collective actions with relevant stakeholders including the World Health Organization (WHO), US Pharmacopeia, and local pharmaceutical associations, in tackling the issue of substandard and falsified medicinal products.
“The engagement with Pharma supply chain stakeholders in Nigeria serves as a means of thinking together and putting in place a position that will represent or guide collective efforts and strategy to prevent, detect, and respond to substandard and falsified medicinal products.”
The agency’s statement signed by its Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola on Sunday highlighted the threat posed by SF medicines to public health, particularly in Africa as regulation in the region is limited.
Adeyeye underscored NAFDAC’s commitment to implementing strategies that uphold quality standards. She stated, “The high prevalence of SF in Africa is a major threat to public health…the goal is to ensure that medical products in circulation are of the quality standard required and safe for public use.”
She also noted that NAFDAC’s approach to combatting SF medicines is multifaceted, focusing on prevention, detection, and response (PDR). This includes rigorous pre-shipment testing schemes to intercept substandard and falsified products before they enter the Nigerian market.
“NAFDAC operatives are not just going on the streets to look for substandard falsified medicines, but also going after products that have been approved in Southeast Asia en- route Nigeria.” She explained.
Addressing concerns about the proliferation of fake drugs in Nigeria, Adeyeye clarified, “There is no proliferation of substandard medicines…Contrary to rumors, there is no evidence to suggest a widespread proliferation of substandard drugs.” However, she urged the public to exercise caution and avoid purchasing medicines from informal markets where quality cannot be guaranteed.
