INITIAL optimism that pharmacists once expressed on Mobile Authentication System (MAS) and its ability to check counterfeit drugs in the country is fast vanishing.

 

And barring a quick action by National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to restore earlier confidence, the pharmacists have threated to reject products using such “unscientific and embarrassing technology.”

 

That was the mood of pharmacists, under the aegis of Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Lagos branch, who protested inconsistency of the technology, at their annual general meeting recently in Lagos.

 

Lagos ACPN Chairman, Adebayo Aminu, observed that the initial challenge was the cost-implication of MAS on drugs and end-users. But today, the concern is loads of embarrassments MAS-enabled products are bringing to outlets that sort their drugs from genuine manufacturers.

 

According to Aminu, “We have on several occasions raised questions on the ability of the unscientific MAS to authenticate genuine medicines. The truth is now emerging as many companies are now promoting their own products as fake through MAS. This development has embarrassed many of our members who sourced their medicines genuinely,” he said.

 

Aminu added that the association condemns such counterproductive system, adding that it would be considered as tyranny if NAFDAC and managing companies continue to turn deaf ears to their cries.

 

He said: “As community pharmacists, we are at all times ready to partner with relevant bodies to save Nigerians from fake products. But we shall also not hesitate to help spread the message for companies promoting their own products as fake to safeguard the lives of people living in Nigeria and prevent further embarrassment.”

 

MAS allows individuals with mobile phones to check whether a drug is fake or original without direct contact with the manufacturer. It was introduced by NAFDAC in response to the increasing rate of fake drugs sold in the country.   

 

MAS uses Truscan technology, which enables consumers to enter a 12 digit number printed on the back of the packaging of a drug and send it via SMS to a dedicated number, which automatically sends a negative or positive responds about the genuineness of the product before it is purchased. MAS currently covers antibiotics and the antimalarial drugs.

 

A member of the association also complained that there was an instance the MAS did not produce any result on Ciprotab, which led to the customer turning down the purchase.

 

He said: “That was a regular buyer that just left, though quietly but it says a lot. We’ve had instances where customers call us sellers of fake products because MAS is inconsistent. Someone could go to the police to have us arrested over that.

 

“We are tired of hearing political statements on resolving this matter. We have to be frank with ourselves, MAS is not working, at least not for now and often, the blame is all laid at the door-step of the community pharmacists,” he said.

 

It was also gathered at the meeting that the matter has been on for about two years, leading to litigations in some quarters. 

 

Member of the committee that resolved one of such issues in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, added that it was high time ACPN had informed NAFDAC that community pharmacists were pulling out of MAS-enabled products.

 

He said: “The Port Harcourt scenario was a big embarrassment that an entire community labelled all outlets as fake dealers, meanwhile, the product in question was later found to be genuine and not fake. This has dragged on for too long, and I think it is time we give an ultimatum to NAFDAC to clear this mess and also let the public know the true situation of things.”

 

National Secretary of the ACPN, Olatunji Koolchap told The Guardian that community pharmacists are at the receiving ends, since such scratching of numbers on medicines are not done in public and private hospital pharmacies. 

 

He said: “You know in the hospitals before you are given your medicines they are already removed from the manufacturers packs. Another thing is that our people are so gullible to believe more in the word ‘hospital’ than going out to buy medicines elsewhere.

 

“The administration of the technology MAS has caused havoc in many circumstances even when the medicine in question that MAS failed, was found to be original afterwards. The message ‘FAKE’ has resulted in labelling many pharmacies ‘sellers of fake products’ and has damaged the reputation of many colleagues in their respective community.

 

 “There is need for stakeholders forum to involve NAFDAC, PSN, ACPN and the pharmaceutical companies using this technology in authenticating their products very urgently before the condition gets out of hand,” Koolchap said.