Pharmaceutical coy warns on sub-standard drugs
Managing Director and chief Executive Offi cer of New Age Pharmaceutical Company in Gwagwalada, Mr. Nnamdi Ofonagoro, has warned Nigerians, and especially FCT residents, to ensure that the medications administered on them were genuine and approved drugs certifi ed by the National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration (NAFDAC). Ofonagoro said that many people had developed complications from consuming unwholesome and sub-standard drugs manufactured by quacks and fake drug manufacturers despite the crackdown by NAFDAC on their operations. Th e managing director, who spoke to Blueprint through his Superintendent Pharmacist, Mr. Okechukwu Obasi, said drugs must be properly researched in laboratories before production for the consuming public. He lamented that several drugs in the nation’s market “do not go through the proper laboratory research and certifi cation before manufacturers rush them to the production plants or manufacturing and distribution.” He commended NAFDAC for its eff orts in certifying the operations of pharmaceutical companies and in clamping down on fake drug manufacturers, pointing out that “New Age Pharmaceutical Company opens its doors regularly for inspection and quality control visits by NAFDAC offi cials.” Th e managing director called on the federal government to “consider granting waivers and soft loans to pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria to enable them improve on their products,” stressing that the rampant cases of fake products was caused by high cost of production machines among other challenges. He said “many pharmaceutical companies obtain loans at high interest rates and also use personal savings to set up companies,” adding that when faced with funding challenges, “many are struggling to survive and this often gives rise to the production of substandard drugs for the consuming public to remain afl oat.” Ofonagoro, who said that his Company provided employment by engaging no less than 40 workers on permanent employment and 50 as casual labourers, promised that the “company will not cut corners or lay off workers to save cost.” He disclosed that the company “manufactures high quality drugs and syrups which compares favourably with other medications and medical consumables imported from advanced countries.”
