Expired drugs worth N460 million seized by a team of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) in raids of drugs stores in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital and other local government areas of the state will be moved to Anambra State for destruction, LEADERSHIP Sunday has gathered.
The seized unwholesome drugs, it was learnt, would be moved to Anambra State where NAFDAC has its incinerator as Akwa Ibom is yet to acquire such a facility.
The pharmacists’ association in the state voluntarily surrendered the expired drugs to the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The drugs which were mopped up from various pharmaceutical outlets across the three senatorial districts of Uyo, Ikot Ekpene and Eket, were handed over to NAFDAC for destruction by the state chairman of ACPN, Pharm. Tony Anderson, at a ceremony held at the Federal Secretariat, Uyo.
Handing over the drugs, Pharm. Anderson explained that the mop-up exercise was aimed at removing expired drugs from circulation, as they could harm consumers if used, explaining that the exercise was in furtherance of the commitment by the community pharmacists to partner NAFDAC in the fight against fake and expired drugs.
“We are pleased to announce that the association has successfully mopped-up expired drugs worth N460,864,804, for forfeiture.
“Let this occasion mark the beginning of a coordinated effort to permanently expunge expired drugs from our communities. Together, we can build a safer pharmaceutical ecosystem that protects public health and upholds the integrity of our profession.
“The menace of expired drugs is catastrophic, if not more than that of counterfeit medicines. In fact, expired drugs are often a subset of counterfeit drugs, given their potential to be fraudulently reintroduced into circulation with falsified extended expiration dates.
“Until the chaotic drug distribution system in Nigeria is overhauled and unauthorised drug markets are permanently closed, the repercussions of this problem will continue to plague us,” he said.
The Akwa Ibom State branch of ACPN lamented the activities of unscrupulous individuals within the drug trade who are in the habit of recycling expired drugs, rebrand them with counterfeit expiry dates and resell to unsuspecting members of the public, thereby exposing consumers to toxic substances.
Pharm. Anderson asserted that the eradication of fake and expired drugs from the society should be a matter of national urgency and collective responsibility.
“Whether directly or indirectly, we all remain vulnerable to the devastating effects of this menace,” he warned.
He emphasised that the formal forfeiture of the expired drugs marks a pivotal revolution in the fight against the dangers posed by expired pharmaceutical products, warning that the menace of expired drugs is catastrophic and could lead to organ failure, toxicity and treatment resistance.
Receiving the expired drugs on behalf of NAFDAC, the agency’s state coordinator, Mr Nkachi John, applauded the community pharmacists for their efforts in ensuring that expired drugs are removed from circulation, assuring that NAFDAC would ensure that the expired drugs are destroyed in accordance with the agency’s guidelines.
