NAFDAC Raises Awareness On Dangers Of Fake Drugs In Ibadan

Health/Wellness

NAFDAC Raises Awareness On Dangers Of Fake Drugs In Ibadan

Reported by Ayooluwa Afolabi

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged the public to be conscious of the dangers of using fake or substandard drugs in the country.

On Wednesday, the agency sensitized pharmaceutical companies, drug hawkers, and chemist operators on the need to eliminate fake drugs that can harm the health of their customers.

Speaking at a one-day workshop held at the Ibadan Business School Hall in Bodija, Ibadan, the Zonal Director of the agency, Mrs. Roselyn Ajayi, explained that the consumption of fake drugs is one of the causes of untimely deaths in the country, the Nigerian Tribune reported.

She emphasized the need to inform the general public about the dangers of using unprescribed or counterfeit drugs.

Ajayi noted that measures such as public awareness campaigns, documentation, registration, and laboratory evaluation of food and drugs are part of the regulatory strategies implemented by NAFDAC to promote and protect public health across the country.

She said, “The agency aims to sensitize health practitioners and providers on how to identify substandard and falsified products and to share our concerns with them.”

“Our core mandate is to regulate and control the importation, exportation, manufacturing, distribution, storage, and use of regulated products like food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, detergents, chemicals, and water.”

“Following a local and global survey conducted in 2020, which revealed a high prevalence of substandard and falsified products, we intensified sensitization efforts by engaging various stakeholders, including healthcare practitioners, as we are doing today, on how to identify substandard drugs.”

The NAFDAC director added that the sensitization campaign will be a continuous process due to the seriousness of the issue.

“This sensitization does not end here.

“We plan to pay advocacy visits to traditional rulers, opinion leaders, churches, mosques, and communities, among others,” she said.

Presenting the findings of research on the negative effects of consumers’ exposure to substandard and falsified medications, pharmacist Mrs. Sayo Akinrinade advised people to avoid patronizing drug hawkers and unauthorized shops, warning that fake drugs can destroy vital organs in the body.

Chairman of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, Mr. Adebayo Gbadamosi, urged the public to develop the habit of checking the expiration dates and registration numbers of products and visiting NAFDAC’s website for updated information.

He also advised people to patronize only registered and licensed pharmacies for safe and approved drugs.