The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has called for the use of multifaceted approach to end the menace of falsified medicine in the country.
NAFDAC said illicit sale and distribution of substandard and falsified medicines is a global threat that presents huge public health challenges to national medicines regulatory authorities in both developed and developing countries just as it has catastrophic consequences on the local pharmaceutical industry.
The Director General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, weekend warned that the menace of substandard and falsified medicines portends grave financial losses, possible divestment, and close of shop for the pharmaceutical industry and it threatens the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which strive for access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines.
Adeyeye gave the cautions while speaking on “Fighting the scourge of illicit trade in the pharma industry: the role of communication” at the 21st NECCI PR Roundtable in Lagos.
In her keynote speech, she described the topic as very apt considering the expeditious need to promote local manufacturing of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and to move Nigeria from an importer of Finished Pharmaceutical Products (FPPs) to a country where all classes of FPPs are manufactured.
She said these connected activities are key agenda points of the current administration for which success will engender economic diversification.
