The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned patent medicine dealers in Ebonyi against selling or distributing fake, substandard and unregistered medicines.
The agency urged dealers to remain vigilant and take appropriate steps to prevent dangerous medicines from reaching consumers.
The agency’s State Coordinator, Emeka Orajaka, gave the warning in Abakaliki on Tuesday at an awareness and sensitisation meeting with members of the Nigerian Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPMED) in the state.
Orajaka said the meeting aimed to educate dealers on how to identify, prevent and report the circulation of falsified and substandard medicines.
He expressed concern about the presence of fake medicines in the market, warning that the products posed serious risks to public health.
He explained that falsified medicines were deliberately manufactured or packaged to resemble genuine products from legitimate pharmaceutical companies, making them difficult for unsuspecting consumers to identify.
Orajaka advised dealers to buy only from authorised suppliers, regularly inspect their stock and promptly report suspicious products and individuals to NAFDAC, the police or their association’s leadership.
He introduced NAFDAC’s online verification platform, registration.nafdac.gov.ng, and encouraged members to download the NAFDAC Greenbook app to verify medicines’ registration status and authenticity before buying or selling them.
Orajaka also urged dealers to cooperate with NAFDAC enforcement officials and surrender suspected substandard products found during inspections.
“Educate your members and customers on the dangers of counterfeit medicines.
“Tackling the circulation of fake drugs requires a collective commitment from regulators, medicine dealers and the general public,” he said.
In his remarks, NAPMED’s Ebonyi President, Jerry Ikporu, described the sensitisation exercise as timely and beneficial.
“This has equipped our members with knowledge of banned, fake, substandard and unregistered medicines.
“It exposed our members to digital platforms through which they can access relevant information and verify products with NAFDAC,” he added.
Ikporu assured the agency that the association would put the knowledge gained into practice. He urged members to exercise caution when handling medicines and to study drug leaflets carefully to understand their ingredients, indications and recommended dosages.
He also encouraged residents to take advantage of government-supported healthcare programmes, including the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency, to improve access to healthcare services.
The Chairman of NAPMED at the International Market, Steven-Udeze Okpucha, also reaffirmed the association’s opposition to the sale of fake and unregistered medicines.
Okpucha adopted the slogan, “No to any drug without a NAFDAC number; no to fake or substandard drugs,” as part of the association’s campaign against counterfeit medicines.
He said the association had established a monitoring committee to oversee members’ activities and enforce compliance with regulations.
Members caught selling fake or unregistered medicines risk having their shops closed for six months, while seized products would be handed over to NAFDAC for destruction, Okpucha said.
He reaffirmed the association’s commitment to supporting NAFDAC’s efforts to sanitise medicine distribution and protect public health.
