Reps ask FG to prosecute unauthorised online drug advertisements

The House of Representatives on Tuesday called on Federal Government to regulate online advertising and sales of drugs across the country.

The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by the Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Hon. Onofiok Akpan Luke, who reeled out the huge economic potentials of online advertising through the use of internet/online platforms that deliver marketing messages to an identified and intended audience.

According to him, online advertising was designed to persuade the targeted customer to engage in a specific action including making a purchase.

“Given its expansive reach, online advertising has become increasingly important to business owners and service providers across the world because it is more cost-efficient, offering measurability and delivering unmatched speedy dissemination.

“The House is concerned that online vendors have capitalized on free access to the internet and social media platforms to advertise and sell unregistered and sometimes fake drugs to unsuspecting members of the public, thereby endangering their health and well-being.

“The House is aware that given the false, exaggerated media and online advertisement of drugs, members of the public are enticed into buying the drugs ranging from dietary supplements, cholesterol-lowering medicine, analgesics, including tramadol and aspirin to Viagra and other sex enhancement drugs, some of which are unregistered and purchased without a doctor’s prescription or the advice of a pharmacist.

“The House is also aware that the law prohibits the advertisement of drugs or related products without registration and without the advertisement having the pre-clearance and approval of a relevant government agency.

“The House is further aware that the law requires that the advertisement of any drug or related product be accurate, complete, clear, and designed to promote credibility and trust by the general public and health practitioners, and those drug products, particularly drugs that may lead to death or severe injury, must have a special safety warning information displayed within a box in the advertisement.

“The House is worried that some of the drugs are sold without an indication or warning of the side effects, members of the public who purchased them have complained of developing symptoms of vomiting, stooling, body weakness, severe body pains, swelling, shortness of breath, fainting, erectile dysfunction among other things, necessitating them to seek medical attention in hospitals.

“The House is also worried that most drugs and related products advertised online do not meet the requirements and standards set by the law and the non-compliance thereof exposes the public to grave health risk and danger.

“The House is cognizant that drug products should not state or imply in absolute terms or by quotations taken out of context that any drug product is safe or has guaranteed efficacy or special status and that any advertisement that portrays a drug product as fast, immediate, instant, or rapid in action on the description must substantiate using studies based on the rate of absorption of the drug product,” he noted.

In the bid to address the challenges posed by the activities of online advertisers, the House tasked authorities of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) to liaise with online advertising companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter, etc., to effectively monitor, control, and enforce advertising standards against online drug advertisers and vendors.

The House also called on National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to arrest and prosecute unlawful online advertisers of drugs and enlighten the public against the dangers of purchasing unregistered and non-prescribed drugs online.

In the same vein, the House urged the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) to sanction and prosecute individuals engaging in the sales and promotion of medicines online without the requisite authorization in line with the law establishing the Council.

The lawmakers also urged Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to take necessary action towards protecting consumers of online drugs.

To this end, the House mandated the joint Committees on Healthcare Services and Information Technology to ensure compliance.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents

In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. This report x-rays the lives and experiences of residents in getting clean, potable and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state…BBNaija 2020 housemate.  BBNaija 2020 housemate

Selfies, video calls and Chinese documentaries: The things you’ll meet onboard Lagos-Ibadan train

The Lagos-Ibadan railway was inaugurated recently for a full paid operation by the Nigerian Railway Corporation after about a year of free test-run. Our reporter joined the train to and fro Lagos from Ibadan and tells his experience in this report…BBNaija 2020 housemate. BBNaija 2020 housemate