The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has trained 200 stakeholders across the Northeast on identifying counterfeit medicines.
The two-day training, which began on Thursday in Gombe, aimed to build the capacity of pharmaceutical vendors, patent medicine dealers, medical practitioners, and other healthcare providers to spot fake drugs using modern mobile verification technologies.
Speaking at the event on Friday in Gombe, the Director-General (D-G) of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, emphasised the agency’s commitment to safeguarding public health by equipping stakeholders with practical tools and knowledge.
Adeyeye was represented by the Director of Post-Marketing Surveillance, Mr Bitrus Fraden.
She said the participants received hands-on training on two newly introduced technologies, Scan to Verify and the Green Book App, which helped users authenticate medications in real time.
According to her, the Green Book App serves as a comprehensive digital registry of all NAFDAC-approved drugs, while Scan to Verify enables instant product validation using mobile devices.
The D-G said that the workshop was not just a sensitisation exercise but a strategic effort to create a trained front line capable of protecting their communities from the dangers of counterfeit drugs.
“This training is meant to ensure that everyone involved in the medicine supply chain can distinguish between approved and counterfeit products,” she said.
In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), several participants lauded the initiative, highlighting how it addressed a critical knowledge gap in identifying substandard and falsified medicines.
NAFDAC also used the occasion to reaffirm its commitment to cracking down on illegal drug markets, particularly in hotspots like Lagos and Onitsha.
The agency urged the newly trained stakeholders to support ongoing enforcement efforts by staying vigilant and promptly reporting any suspicious activities.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
HUL/AMM
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Edited by Abiemwense Moru
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