NAFDAC engages stakeholders to curb circulation of fake, substandard medical products

BLESSING AKOROWOSI

In a bid to eradicate the growing spread of falsified and substandard products, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has dialogued with pharmaceutical supply chain stakeholders.

The engagement with relevant stakeholders was aimed at ensuring medical products in circulation are of the quality standard required and safe for public use.

The session took place at NAFDAC office complex, Isolo, Lagos, on Thursday.

At the event, necessary inputs for the National Strategic Document on substandard and falsified products were gathered for implementation.

In her address, the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye stated that the dialogue was organised to devise ways to curb the sale and distribution of fake and substandard medical products within the supply chain.

“This engagement with Pharma Supply Chain Stakeholders in Nigeria serves as a means of thinking together and putting in place a position that will represent or guide our collective efforts and strategy to prevent, detect, and respond to substandard and falsified medicinal products,” she said.

Prof. Adeyeye decried the high prevalence of substandard and fake products in Africa.

She explained, “the regulation in the region is limited with about 10% of African NRAs having achieved ML3. This allows for poorly regulated manufacturers to supply their products in Africa where technologies to detect SF and track/trace are limited.

“The menace of substandard and falsified medical products threatens access to safe, efficacious, and affordable medicines, undermining health systems and the achievement of Universal Health Coverage globally.”

Speaking on the steps of NAFDAC to mitigate the menace, the DG highlighted the three approaches employed by the agency as– Prevent, Detect, and Respond (PDR).

She urged stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry and supply chain system to partner with NAFDAC in the fight against substandard and falsified medical products.

“NAFDAC currently is doing its best to fight this issue of Substandard and Falsified products. The Pharmaceutical Supply chain plays a vital role in ensuring that safe, quality, and efficacious medicines reach the end users. Therefore, there is a need to foster complementary partnerships that will seek to identify lapses in the supply chain to curb the distribution of substandard and falsified medical products in Nigeria,” the NAFDAC boss stated.

For a better society

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