By Doris Obinna and Henry Uche
National Agency For Food And DRUG Administration And Control (NAFDAC) and Pharmacy Council Of Nigeria (PCN) have recalibrated their armories to fight perpetuators of Substandard and Falsified Medicines (SFs) and other consumables in the country in line with its mandate to ensure the health and safety of Nigerians.
Director General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, and the Registrar of PCN, Pharm Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, gave this assurance in Lagos at a press conference on the relocation of Open Drug Marketers to Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) in Kano.
In a bid to keep Nigerians healthy, NAFDAC DG affirmed that the agency is collaborating with the Nigeria Customs Service, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the anti – terrorism Centre of the office of the National Security Adviser, among others.
“I foresee safer drugs for Nigerians in 2025. If you are not feeling well, you can’t think well, you can’t do anything well. A motivated and discipline staff would deliver more to customer satisfaction, so we are giving that a top priority. We shall digitize all our operations.
“We shall begin to visit and ensure safety in all hospitals and pharmaceutical companies across the country to check malpractices and other sharp practices. We should be careful during the Yuletide of what we eat. Some times, the fish and meat we eat are treated with antibiotics. We will push for more enlightenment programs, because when one is poor and illiterate at the same time, it may lead to dead. So people should be informed especially about the Green book to report sub standard medicines. Our call center shall come alive,” she assured.
Meanwhile, PCN Registrar confirmed that the CWC in Kano was the first to be built as part of ensuring proper regulation of drug distribution and sale in Nigeria, and mitigation of SFs.
“Over the years, the medicine dealers in Kano have resisted all attempts by concerned regulatory authorities to relocate their pharmaceutical businesses from the open drug markets in Mai Karami Plaza, Niger Street, Malam Kato and Sabon Gari areas of Kano to the Co-ordinate0d Wholesale Centres in Dangwauro area of the state. The dealers even filed a suit in court seeking to reject relocation to the Coordinated Wholesale Centre.”
He affirmed that the two agencies are working together to maintain the maturity level 3 while working toward level 4. The beneficiaries of this goal, he said is the population, hence; a healthier nation is a wealthier nation.
“The continued fight against SFs to make our citizens healthier has been blessed by the judgement by Justice Amobeda. It is most significant for both NAFDAC and PCN because it shows a resolve of the two agencies to get rid of SFs in our markets and sets a good pathway toward attainment of Maturity Level 4,” he added.
