The Federal Government has vowed to clamp down on media organisations that advertise pharmaceutical products not duly registered by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at the inauguration of the reconstituted federal and state task forces on counterfeit and unwholesome processed foods.
The event coincided with a workshop entitled; “Combating the menace of substandard/spurious/falsely labelled/falsified/counterfeit medical products in Nigeria through effective collaboration.”
Describing the attitude of the media organisations as “embarrassing to the government”, Chukwu urged the National Broadcasting Commission to regulate the advertisement of regulated products in the country.
He said, “We will soon use some media organisations as examples for others to know that the government is serious. The reconstitution of the task forces is to enable the government to attain the zero tolerance on fake drugs declared by the President.
“I also want you to see your membership of the task forces as a call to duty. I charge you to do your very best in this assignment and ensure access of Nigerians to good quality, safe and effective medical products in the interest of the public.”
According to him, it is following the increase in counterfeit drugs that the Federal Government promulgated the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods Act.Chukwu said that the FG has empowered NAFDAC to “take all appropriate measures at stemming the menace of fake and counterfeit medicines.”
The minister, however, commended the agency for reducing the incidences of counterfeit medicines to less than 20 per cent in the past few years.
The NAFDAC Director-General,Dr. Paul Orhii, also linked counterfeit drugs as one of the factors responsible for treatment failures and development of drug resistance.
He said the Federal Task force would be responsible for “directing and monitoring the activities of the state task forces; paying unsheduled visits to all ports of entry and border posts and taking samples of any article and opening/examining premises.”
Orhii expressed optimism that, “counterfeiters can be overcome despite the dangers and threat from their criminal network.”
BY FRIDAY OLOKOR
Punch
ABUJA: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED
PORTHARCOURT: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED
LAGOS: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED
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