Nigeria and the fight against fake and adulterated medicines- A Colloquium

 

Patience Ogbo

Stakeholders in the nation’s pharmaceutical eco system has reiterated the need to sanitize  the  industry and  rid the system from fake and adulterated medicines

According to them virtually every mile in the  entire strata of production, importation and distribution of substandard pharmaceutical products, is riddled with high-level sharp practices.

Efforts to flush out these rogues and their enablers, are often ineffective because these illegal operators deploy various vicious tactics to escape surveillance and arrest.

In some cases, these criminals threaten the lives of officials and whistleblowers, just to short-change gullible end-users.

Indeed sanitizing the pharmaceutical industry has become imperative. The consequences of not doing so is certainly a disservice to the nation and its hapless citizens.

However this operation requires concerted strategies and synergies, among regulatory authorities, health practitioners, stakeholders, media and the public, in order to effectively kick out the evil merchandise.

This was the consensus among pharmacists, medical experts and participants, at a recent summit tagged ‘Intensifying the fight against fake drugs in Nigeria.’

The summit featured top pharmaceutical chieftains and prominent personalities, who brainstormed over innovative strategies to accentuate the battle against substandard and adulterated drugs.

The keynote address from the Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye focussed on deploying  technology, detection and enforcement  in checkmating the menace.

She was represented by Pharm. Joseph Asikpo, Deputy Director and Chairman, NAFDAC Substandard and Falsified Medical Products Taskforce, Hajj. Fatima Abubakar of Drug Evaluation and Research Directorate and Pharm. Adesanya Oluwaseun, the NAFDAC/WHO Focal Person on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products.

Other speakers included former President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria(PSN), Amb. Ahmed Yakasai and Ms. Elizabeth Mattfeld of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime(UNODC).

The programme was  executed, under the aegis of the Coalition of Development Advocates and Health Journalists(CODAHJ), established for the promotion of social and economic reforms in society.

The advocacy group was initiated by Mrs Adeze Ojukwu, a Fellow of Hubert H Humphrey Fellowship and publisher of Devcomradar.org magazine, in partnership with Dr. Godwin Uwaoma, a public health physician and founder, Association for Peace and Development Initiative (APDI).

The summit was moderated by accomplished broadcaster, Soni Irabor, as well as Managing Director of Evans Baroque Pharmaceutical company, Mr. Onyeka Onyeibor.

The awareness campaign was supported by NAFDAC, Safe Medicines Foundation, Engr Anthony Akpokene, Chief Executive Officer of Polygon Energy Services and FLOMAT Books and Dr. Okon Okon-Umoren, Executive Director, Africa Vision Tract House Society (AVTHS).

Others included Vice President of United States Government Exchanges Alumni Association (USGEAA), Mr. Joseph Iorwuese and Engineer Adegbemi Adekambi of AVTHS as well as Intelligent Youths Against substance Abuse Foundation (IYASAF).

‘The exercise is in line with our commitment towards improved access to basic amenities and health care for all citizens, crucial for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) in Nigeria.’

According to the World Health Organization(WHO), one in 10 medications sold in Africa are either fake or substandard, with a high prevalence in Nigeria.

The Director-General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said ‘substandard and falsified medicines particularly affect the most vulnerable communities.’

‘Imagine a mother who gives up food or other basic needs to pay for her child’s treatment, unaware that the medicines are substandard or falsified, and then that treatment causes her child to die.’

Consumption of adulterated products devastates the health of citizens and damages the image of the country and its pharmaceutical manufacturing sub-sector.’

‘It also undermines the excellent work being undertaken by genuine pharmacists and drug manufacturers in Nigeria.’

Several research findings have revealed that some of these products contain little or no active ingredients, thus prolonging illness, complications and emergencies.

As a result, people inadvertently, take medicines that are not only deficient but life-threatening conditions, in some instances.

‘The economic losses, associated with this ugly trend are equally huge, as these phony drug manufacturers use spurious tactics to sell their lethal wares to unsuspecting individuals and health systems, causing organ failure, mortalities and morbidities.’

‘Substandard or falsified medicines not only have a tragic impact on individual patients and their families, but also are a threat to antimicrobial resistance, adding to the worrying trend of medicines losing their power to treat.’

‘In 2018 alone, data from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, revealed that the agency destroyed fake foods and drugs worth N4.7 billion in four exercises in Abuja as well as three states including Ogun, Kaduna and Gombe.’

‘Undoubtedly, the fake drug syndrome, can be tenaciously addressed, through a renewed media and mass sensitization campaign, to boost public awareness about current regulatory policies and enforcement efforts by NAFDAC and allied organizations.’

‘This conference is therefore timely and strategically, positioned for policy makers, pharmacists and health experts to address these numerous challenges and enunciate practical steps towards eradicating these unwholesome products.

‘For effective delivery of   objectives of the summit, the coalition is collaborating with several online and mainstream media organizations to ensure adequate coverage and promotion of the recommendations.’

The sensitization project targets the general public as well as chemists, dispensaries and health centers, particularly in rural areas.

‘Top health professionals and media arsenals are working, concertedly, with policy makers, regulatory authorities and industry players to promote more public interest about the dangers inherent in  patronizing these substances, through this discourse.’

Find below the incisive views advanced by the accomplished  speakers and participants at the health colloquium.

Prof.  Mojisola Adeyeye Director General, NAFDAC

The prevalence of substandard and falsified medical products has been acknowledged as a global threat to humanity.

The COVID-19 pandemic no doubt has completely disrupted the medicines supply chain and brought with it huge challenges in ensuring medicines security in Nigeria.

With Nigeria, being an import-dependent country for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients(APIs) and finished products, prices of drugs have increase rapidly as a result of the lockdown placed by several countries at the outbreak of COVID-19, as well as restrictions on export of finished products and APIs.

This has led to drug scarcity as well as higher prices of essential and non-essential medicines in the country as supply struggles to catch up with demand.

NAFDAC has adopted several strategies in countering the prevalence of substandard and falsified medicines in Nigeria amongst which includes the frameworks of prevention, detection and response.

In order to prevent the distribution of falsified medicines, NAFDAC has put in place the following strategies such as, increased surveillance on regulated products as well as public alert notices to consumers, retailers, distributors and importers of medical products.