Recently, the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said it uncovered assorted counterfeit drugs worth over N40 million in Asaba, the Delta State capital. The agency said the drugs were found in the 3-bedroom apartment of 32 year-old man, Paul Eli. The counterfeit drugs include Maloxine, Lumatem (anti-malaria drugs), LOFNAC (for body pains relief), Buscomac (for stomach pain relief) and Rysovin (anti-fungal drug), alongside already printed mobile authentication numbers. Eli, a graduate of Management Science from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, was arrested at his residence at 2, Charles Edozien Avenue, Asaba, where he is reportedly packaging the counterfeit drugs with mobile authentication number to make it appear genuine in the eyes of the unsuspecting patients.Other parts of the state capital raided by members of the task force were Ogbunabali, Trans-Amadi, Amadi-ama and Abuloma. According to the permanent secretary of the state Ministry of Health, Dr. Godwin Mpi, the drugs seized during the raid had been deposited at the NAFDAC office for destruction while offenders would be fined or prosecuted. Mpi stated that the state government will not rest on its oars until all fake and counterfeit drugs, unwholesome processed food and their vendors are flushed out of the state. Few weeks ago, NAFDAC destroyed fake and counterfeited drugs worth over N200 million at its dump site in Odukpani local government area of Cross River State.
The agency’s director of Investigations and Enforcement, Macdonald Garuba, said the exercise was a away to discourage peddling and manufacturing of fake and counterfeited drugs and safe-guard the lives of Nigerians from being ruined by evil and dubious, brisk businessmen. Garuba charged manufacturers of fake drugs to have a rethink and stop the production, circulation, exportation, importation, and consumption of fake and counterfeited drugs in order to protect the health of citizens. He said, “The products being destroyed today are substandard, counterfeit, spurious and fake medicines, food and other regulated products seized by various establishments in the South-South region.”
He maintained that NAFDAC will continue to sustain the fight against unrepentant, dubious and ‘brisk business people’ who take delight in circulating fake product that is capable of ruining the lives of innocent consumers. According to Dr. Paul Orhii, the director-general of NAFDAC, the agency seized and destroyed fake drugs and other regulated products worth over N500 billion between 2009 and 2015. Orhii, who spoke recently to some journalists who embarked on inspection tour of facilities of NAFDAC in the South-South and South-East geo-political zones of the country, said the achievement became possible because of the use of modern technology to detect fake products.
He listed TRUSCAN, Mobile Authentication Service and Radio Frequency Identification as some of the modern technologies deployed in the fight against fake and counterfeit drugs in the country, pointing out that the agency introduced technology-based measures such as TRUSCAN, Mobile Authentication Service, and the Radio Frequency Identification to effectively fight fake drugs in the country. In the area of prosecution, the NAFDAC boss, who said at least, 12 suspects, who were prosecuted and convicted within the past six years, bagged three-year jail term each, expressed the agency’s commitment towards ensuring that the war against counterfeiting of drugs and other regulated products was completely won.
Orhii said, “We came into the agency and met a commendable level of work. Since we mounted the saddle, we have ensured remarkable improvement and sustenance of what we met. Our zeal is strong and gets stronger by the day. We are committed to ensuring that the war against counterfeiting of regulated products is fought and won completely.” He stated that Nigeria as a nation has the capability to be out rightly independent as well as lead globally in the provision of effective and efficient healthcare delivery services if the dynamic exploits of NAFDAC is maximally sustained, encouraged, broadened and adequately financed.
However, the agency strongly believes that it cannot win its war against fake and counterfeit drugs in the South-South geo-political zone of the country, if members of the public, including the media fail to join in the fight. According to Kingsley Ejiofor, chairman of NAFDAC Federal Taskforce on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs, “The People should shine their eyes so that they can know what their neighbours are doing because this could have just gone unnoticed if someone did not report it. “The one that is mind-boggling is the anti-malaria drugs. You know NAFDAC came up with this mobile authentication service. And when you find this panel; you scratch, send it to a particular number; now it appears that the counterfeiters have taken advantage of the fact that when people see this panel that is enough, they will not go the extra mile to scratch and send.
“We are therefore informing members of the public, that it is not enough for you to buy the drug with the panel on it. Go the extra mile by scratching and sending it to the number indicated, and if there is no response don’t buy; it might be counterfeit.
Source:Leadership Online
