NAFDAC to conduct new survey on prevalence of substandard, fake drugs

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration Control  (NAFDAC) on Monday disclosed plans to conduct a new survey on the prevalence of substandard and falsified drugs in the country.

This is even as it warned against the purchase of drugs on the Internet as this in most cases, are substandard.

The Director General, NAFDAC Mrs Mojisola Adeyeye made the disclosure at a press conference in Abuja.

She stated that the survey became imperative to ascertain the current prevalence as the last data was conducted in 2005.

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“Looking back, I can say with confidence that our goal to curb the menace of substandard and falsified drugs has become crispier than ever based on what we have been able to achieve and where we intend to be in our strategic plan as a regulatory agency.

“One of our strategic plans is to reduce substandard and falsified medicines too. Globally, the prevalence is about 10%. The last data we have on the prevalence of substandard and falsified drugs in Nigeria is 16.7% but that was about 14 years, thus, it is high time we did a survey on the prevalence.

“A study of counterfeit and substandard medicines in Nigeria conducted by NAFDAC in collaboration with World Health Organisation (WHO) and Department for International Development (DFID) in 2005 revealed that counterfeit medicines stood at 16.7% in 2005 as against 40% in 2001.”

According to her, substandard and falsified medicines have become a global problem that presents enormous public health challenges to National Medicines Regulatory Authorities in both developed and developing countries.

The DG said one of its goals is to reduce substandard and falsified medicines to not more than 5% prevalence in Nigeria by the year 2025.

She further explained that the illegal manufacture, importation and distribution of substandard and falsified medicines target medicines with a high volume of use for the treatment of diseases of public health interest.

According to her, the classes of medicines targeted include; ” Antimalaria, Antibiotics, Antihypertensives, Antidiabetic agents, Lifestyle drugs.”