Fake Drugs: NAFDAC Deploys Technology to Combat Counterfeiting
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Wednesday sensitized stakeholders on detecting substandard and falsified medical products in the Northwest Zone.
Its Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the agency had introduced GreenBook, the Traceability Project, and the Pediatric Policy to combat counterfeit medical products.
Adeyeye, represented by Mr. Bitrus Fraden, NAFDAC’s Director of Post-Marketing Surveillance, said GreenBook serves as a tool to help consumers identify and avoid potentially fake or substandard products.
“Traceability is a legal framework for tracking products along the supply chain, while the Pediatric Regulation 2024 is designed to address the special medical needs of children.
“With this technology, stakeholders can detect and prevent the entry of fake products into the supply chain,” she said.
Adeyeye said the workshop aimed to provide information, raise awareness among healthcare providers, manufacturers, and wholesalers, and offer training on the three new technologies to detect fake products.
“Now that counterfeiters have adopted more sophisticated methods to advance their trade, the agency is poised to use technology and modern means to mitigate their activities.
“Therefore, the sensitization of stakeholders is highly relevant,” she added.
According to her, NAFDAC, over the years, has deployed various measures to combat substandard and fake products, including consumer safety publications, the publication of counterfeit products in newspapers, TV programs, and social media.
Adeyeye called on all stakeholders in the healthcare sector to support the initiatives to combat fake products and ensure Nigerians have access to quality, safe, and effective medical products.
Also, Mr. Dadi Nantim-Mullah, Director of the Northwest Zone, noted that the zone was facing challenges with fake and counterfeit products, particularly in Kano, making it difficult to identify and categorize them as substandard.
“The agency has the power to prosecute anyone found guilty, depending on the offense, with punishments ranging from closure and seizure to revoking certificates,” he said.
NAN reports that various stakeholders from the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, the Association of Nurses, the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists, and the Nigerian Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED) attended the event.
NAN
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