The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Monday seized unregistered/expired aphrodisiacs, and other drugs worth N20m in Kaduna State.
NAFDAC made the seizures during a raid on 26 shops at the Sabon Gari market in Zaria LGA of the state.
The seizures were microgynon, drugs meant to be distributed free to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and oxytocin (injection for women who delivered), which required specific temperature to be stored, but were found in the open.
Addressing newsmen after the raid, the Deputy Director in charge of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate of NAFDAC, Kaduna Office, Mr. Tamanuwa Andrew, said the continuous exercise was aimed at ridding markets of substandard and falsified medicines.
He noted that falsified, expired, and substandard medicines posed great challenges to the entire world, including Nigeria being a developing country.
“The seized aphrodisiacs, were found to contain up to 200 strength milligrams which was more than 100mg that the agency registered,” he said.
He mentioned some of the challenges to include increased hospital admission, development of resistance and treatment failure which ultimately resulted to death.
He also noted that the unpatriotic business men/women, targeted medicines with high volume of use such as anti malaria, antibiotics, antihypertensive, among others, for treatment of diseases.
The deputy director explained that one of the strategies NAFDAC employed to reduce or minimise the menace of substandard and falsified products was by continuous mop up of the products from circulation.
He appealed to the public, especially health practitioners, to assist the agency in the fight against substandard drugs, while strongly kicking against self medication .
He restated their commitment to ensure safe markets where consumers would buy the right and quality assured medicines and other consumables.(NAN)
