NAFDAC launches Green Book to foster efficiency.

A NAFDAC Green Book that will ensures that accurate and up to date information are available, accessible and foster a more efficient and accountable healthcare system has been launched in Lagos.

The launch symbolises a significant milestone in the agency commitment to delivering quality efficacious and easily verifiable products to the market.

Lunching the book today, Wednesday 17th January, the Director General NAFDAC, Professor Christianah Adeyeye said, ‘ as a mature level three organization, one of the things we should be known by is transparency, pointing out that, transparency is very important and that is one of the things green book is achieving “.

She said,  NAFDAC as a maturity level three agency has always been in the forefront safeguarding the wellbeing of Nigerians by meticulously evaluating, approving and monitoring all NAFDAC regulated products.

The Green Book, a comprehensive and dynamic data base is a leap forward in transparency and accessibility as prescribed by WHO global benchmarking tool. Adding that the innovative initiative is not only to stream information but also empower healthcare professionals  and the public for  them make informed decisions about the medicines they prescribe, effect and use.

 ” By consolidating detailed data on registered product, the Green Book ensures that accurate and up to date information is readily available, accessible thus fostering a more efficient and accountable healthcare system ‘.Adeyeye

The DG explained that, today’s launch is a collaborative efforts between NAFDAC and various stakeholders underscoring the importance of partnership in advancing public health pointing out that, It reflect the shared commitment to building a robust framework for Pharmaceutical oversights and ensuring that Nigerians have access to safe and effective Medicare.

‘ She said and I quote, ” As we embark on this new chapter, let us recognize the transformation potential of the NAFDAC Green Book. May it serve as a beacon of progress guiding us towards a future whatever healthcare is characterised by transparency, Accountability and most importantly the wellbeing of our citizens ‘. – DG

” I therefore want to seize this opportunity to appreciate our esteemed stakeholders without whom we will not be talking about regulating all NAFDAC regulated products. Expressing the hope that stakeholders will find the platform user friendly and efficient. ‘

I implore stakeholders  to take advantage of the opportunity by giving full participation and contributions throughout the period of this engagement. hoping that the impute arising from this lunch will help build your confidence in our regulatory activities.” She said

The Deputy Director, IT, Mr Femi Balogun,  presenting the workings of the Green Book stressed that the reason is to have one source of information on registered drugs.

” The NAFDAC web design is easy to use as data base and it provides up to date information on registered medicines as approved by the agency. The medicines must have all the technical information concerning the product “

” Before now, our information was not complete, so this now offers a complete base of all NAFDAC registered products including the mace, strength, dosage for, rules of administration, ATC code, market authorization details, manufacturers and the facility where this products are manufactured. General public need to know those sources of these products “. Balogun

The house style of the single source of truth for healthcare professionals, patients and the general public who seek reliable, accurate information about medicine that has been certified safe for use, pointing out that, ” Years back , we just had compilation without other information but now, the story is different although the documentation is ongoing “. he said

Dr Afam Dunoi,is the Deputy Director Research and Registration, stressed that, the Green Book contains information such as medicines, and ecological properties which is broken down to product information, qualitative and quantitative composition, Pharmaceutical form for product appearance, product particulars, locations, side effects, method of administration, pharmacological properties, name of manufacturers and NAFDAC number.

”  We also access information from the data submitted by clients during registration and that data is available on the site nothing that,

If you check the Green Book, because we are collating alt of data and sometimes some information may not be complete. So you can submit your information for update.” Afam

The National Chairman Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria and the representatives of Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, expressed their joy at the initiative saying, it will help check fake drugs in the market.

” With the Green Book, it makes it possible for us to quickly use our android to check the real status with NAFDAC and once that one is done, that will help everybody “

” This is one of the best things that have happened to us in the country especially In terms of health care products, majorly drugs devices, vaccines and the likes.’ Chairman

” The major headache we have out there is how to identify what is fake and what is original. It’s very important because we have a lot of cases where you’re treating patients and you intend to treat a particular patient, to slow down disease progression and improve the quality of life and you are not sure of what you are giving. So this is one of the products of NAFDAC that would help us to be able to curtail that kind of menace and ensure we have better assurance of the quality of products out there for patient care.”

 So it’s a wonderful innovation. I quote, ‘ It affects all of us, a doctor today can be a patient tomorrow, aside ‘ our training and wiring is such that when our patients are not well, we are not well. When you are treating a patient, you want to be sure you’re giving the right medicine to achieve the right treatment outcome, So it is a welcomed development.’