The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has described the report making the rounds on the social media alleging that nearly all paracetamol tablets sold in Nigeria are under dosed as misleading, and the science, questionable.
To this end, the Director – General, NAFDAC, Professor Christianah Adeyeye, had meetings with the Directors and gave a directive that a survey of the market be done to sample and test. ” I also met with the leadership of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Group of the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria to inform them of the Agency’s intent having received a copy of the publication of the research finding of the subject “.
” As the quality culture of NAFDAC demands, NAFDAC’s laboratories are ISO 17025-certified every year to ensure that the procedures used for testing are based on international standards and the equipment or instruments used are qualified similarly.
” adding that, ” the agency do yearly post-marketing survey of medicines to ensure that the quality and safety are maintained. Stressing , Where there is a deviation from this, i.e., whenever we find any regulated product to be substandard or falsified, NAFDAC regularly issues public alerts or do recalls ” she said
According to her and I quote ” In the last two years we have issued eighty-eight (88) public alerts and ordered thirty-two (32) recalls for medicines and foods “. Adeyeye
The DG assured the public that ” NAFDAC is using international standards and scientific method to survey the paracetamol product where samples are collected from different parts of the country in the right amount and will be tested using well calibrated, and qualified state-of-the-art equipment or instruments”.
This is part of our routine regulatory post marketing surveillance among others throughout the life cycle of a medicine. Professor Adeyeye ” We want to reiterate that NAFDAC has five ISO-17025 Laboratories across the country, and a WHO Pre – Qualified Laboratory at Yaba Lagos where medicines are tested for quality and safety “, ‘ explaining further that, the laboratories test medicines using official monographs of British Pharmacopeia, United States Pharmacopoeia, and International Pharmacopoeia, promising that as soon as the agency finishes with the laboratory testing, the public will be updated”.
NAFDAC reassured members of the public that the Agency is very vigilant in her responsibilities in safeguarding the health of the nation.
” It is on this basis that NAFDAC has been recognized by WHO as a stable, well-functioning agency, and by other international partners as an organisation that places premium on the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines, food, and other regulated products “. Adeyeye.
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