NAFDAC Sensitises Stakeholders On New Apps To Detect Fake Medicines

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged the public and stakeholders to utilise its newly deployed technologies to verify the genuinity of products, especially medicines, to curb rampant counterfeit and fake medical products.

Speaking during a two-day sensitisation workshop for stakeholders on Wednesday in Kano, NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye said despite numerous efforts to combat Substandard and Falsified (SF) medical products,  counterfeiters have assumed more sophisticated dimensions to advance their trade, hence the need to use technologies and modern means to mitigate their activities.

Represented by the Director of Post Marketing Surveillance, Pharm. Bitrus Fradden, Prof. Adeyeye said the workshop will sensitise stakeholders and provide them with hands-on training on the new technology—NAFDAC Greenbook, the Traceability Regulation 2024, and the Pediatric Regulation 2024—to ensure both the regulator and the regulated are on the same page in the fight.

According to her, the Greenbook is an online resource for identifying a product’s source through its name or registration number to verify its authenticity, while the NAFDAC Traceability Regulations, 2024 provide a legal framework for Drugs and related product trade items in the country are identified with a unique identifier created by the brand owner to enabled visibility and tracking of the product along the supply chain.

She also explained that the NAFDAC Pediatric Regulation 2024 is a special Regulation that addresses the special needs of children in addition to those addressed by the registration regulation.

The DG, however, sought their support by utilising the initiatives to ensure the supply of quality and safe medical products in the country.

In his remarks, the Northwest zonal director of the Agency, Mr Dadi Nantim, highlighted that the zone, especially Kano state, has been battling with issues of counterfeit products.

He said proper utilisation of the new tools would help in reducing fake drug circulation and also ensure that any culprit found wanting is prosecuted.

Also speaking, the deputy director of Marketing Surveillance of the Agency, Dr Regina Garba, explained that all drugs produced or imported are expected to have been registered with NAFDAC; as such, traceable features would enable stakeholders and consumers to scan codes using the technology for authenticity, given the prevalence of products with fake NAFDAC numbers, bringing transparency in the supply chain of medicinal products.