NAFDAC Seeks Support In Fight Against Fake, Substandard Products

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control [NAFDAC] has solicited the support of Nigerians in the fight against fake and substandard products.

The agency’s South West director, Mrs Roseline Ajayi, who spoke during a sensitisation programme on substandard and falsified products which was held at Ibadan Business School, Bodija, Ibadan Oyo State for health professionals and practitioners, lamented the high rate of substandard products in circulation in the country.

According to her, the producers of such drugs are in the illicit trade because of the patronage by members of the public, especially through distributors, calling on health professionals and all Nigerians to work and collaborate with the agency to combat the menace of substandard and fake drugs and products in the country.

She pointed out that health professionals and healthcare providers also have a role to play in combating the issue of substandard and falsified products, especially in distribution.

The event, themed: “Grassroots Community Sensitisation and Public Awareness of Substandard and Falsified Medical Products”, was meant to educate health practitioners and healthcare providers on fake drug and product identification.

According to her, the agency has conducted a survey across Nigeria under Professor Moji Adeyeye’s leadership on the prevalence of substandard and falsified products. The agency’s concern has been how to reduce the rates because if they are not addressed, they will negatively affect members of the public and compromise the agency’s mandate.

She also warned members of the public to do their due diligence when buying any drug by checking for certain parameters that could ascertain the quality of the products, such as checking for manufacturer name, manufacturing date, and expiry date and using a med safety app to report any case of drug adverse effects.

The zonal director said: “Today, we are here in Oyo state for the Oyo State programme on sensitisation of the practitioners’ health care providers on substandard and falsified products, how to identify them and to share our concerns with them because as an agency we have a mandate and our core mandate is to regulate and control regulated products, that is, the activities surrounding regulated products. The importation, exportation, distribution, manufacture, distribution, storage and use of regulated products.

“That is the core mandate of NAFDAC, and the regulated products are food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, detergents, chemicals and water. But our concern today has to do with drugs.’’