The National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Yobe State, in collaboration with Nigeria Association of Patent Medicine Dealers organized a one-day sensitization workshop for medicine vendors in Yobe South Senatorial District. The district is made up of four local government areas – Fune, Fika, Potiskum and Nangere.
In his address, the NAFDAC Cordinator in the state, Lawan Musa Dadingelma, said that the workshop was aimed at sensitising patent medicine vendors on counterfeit drugs and guide to good storage practices.
His words “The need for this workshop necessitated as a result of the gradual return of peace and normalcy that have resurfaced in our dear state after series of insurgent activities that lasted for over two years. Again, some scrupulous elements among us are using this avenue to short-change the populace by selling counterfeit, expired and unwholesome drugs thereby endangering our lives.”
He hoped that the workshop would equip the participants with a clear view on what drug counterfeiting is all about and also have sound knowledge of good storage keeping.
The NAFDAC coordinator further explained counterfeit drug “is a medication or pharmaceutical product which is produced and sold with the intent to deceptively represent its origin, authenticity or effectiveness, a counterfeit drugs may contain inappropriate quantities of active ingredients or none, may be improperly processed within the body.”
According to him, correctly labelled, low-cost generic drugs are not counterfeit or fake, although they can be counterfeited but can be caught up in anti- counterfeiting enforcement measures.
In his paper presentation titled, “Legal and Regulatory considerations and operational limitations of the Vendor,” Abdullahi Umar Kuta, the executive officer, Pharmacist Council of Nigeria, lectured on legal and regulatory considerations, Pharmacy and drugs law in Nigeria and operational limitations of the vendor “operational limitations here refers to the limit which patent medicine vendors must not cross. PPMVL does not permit the holder to operate beyond the limits imposed by the license.
“Patent medicines must be sold in their original packs, boxes, foils, bottles, packets or covers as packed by the manufacturer, in case of tablets/capsules they may be sold in small packs, sizes or units not exceeding 100s, in case of oral liquid preparations, syrups or suspensions. Only packs of 15mls, 30mls, 100mls and 200mls are to be sold and these should also be in their original packs.”
Speaking on storage of drugs, one of the resource persons, Hafsat Dauda Fika, advised that “at each storage site there should be an adequate number of personnel to achieve Pharmaceutical quantity assurance objectives, National regulations on qualifications should be followed, all personnel should receive proper training, precautions must be taken to prevent unauthorized person from entering storage areas, storage areas should be of sufficient capacity to allow the orderly storage of the various categories of materials and products.”
While delivering vote of thanks, the NAPPMED Chairman, Alhaji Garba Ahlil-Baiti commended NAFDAC in Yobe for educating the drug vendors. According to him, the knowledge acquired would safe-guard the health of the citizens.
“We are highly delighted with the sensitization workshop. May be members have gained knowledge on standard way of operations.”
