The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intensified its efforts to tackle the circulation of counterfeit and unregistered medicines.
This report exposed the widespread availability of fake Seretide inhalers in Nigerian markets just a year after GlaxoSmithKline, the UK pharmaceutical giant, exited the Nigerian market. NAFDAC’s response is part of a broader strategy to strengthen regulatory control over pharmaceuticals and protect public health.
In an official statement, NAFDAC’s Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, outlined several measures the agency is implementing to combat substandard and falsified (SF) medical products. These efforts include comprehensive surveillance, enforcement activities, and multi-stakeholder engagement to prevent counterfeit drugs from reaching consumers. Prof. Adeyeye emphasized NAFDAC’s three-pronged strategy of prevention, detection, and response, with ongoing initiatives to improve monitoring and tracking capabilities throughout the pharmaceutical supply chain.
A significant step in NAFDAC’s approach is the deployment of advanced technology, such as the GS1-driven track-and-trace system, which enables serialized tracking of pharmaceuticals across the country. This system, which began with a pilot program for COVID-19 vaccines, is designed to enhance the security of the drug supply chain. Alongside this, NAFDAC’s “Med Safety App” has been launched to streamline the reporting of adverse drug reactions, offering an accessible way for consumers and health professionals to monitor the effects of medicines in circulation and rapidly report issues.
The agency’s crackdown follows disturbing findings by PUNCH Healthwise, which uncovered fake Seretide inhalers openly sold for as much as N28,000 in recognized pharmacies. Medical experts, including pulmonologists and pharmacists, have warned that these counterfeit inhalers could worsen asthma conditions for over 13 million Nigerians, increasing morbidity and mortality rates. In response, NAFDAC is also enhancing its grassroots awareness campaigns to educate consumers about the risks of SF medicines and how to verify their authenticity.
NAFDAC is also employing the Mobile Authentication Service (MAS) as part of its anti-counterfeiting measures. This system empowers consumers to verify drug authenticity by sending a unique PIN code to a short code, with an immediate SMS response indicating whether the product is genuine. To further support verification, the NAFDAC Greenbook database provides an accessible directory of all registered drugs in Nigeria, helping consumers and healthcare providers ensure the medications they are purchasing are approved and safe.
Additional measures include policies aimed at boosting local drug production to reduce reliance on imports. NAFDAC’s “Five Plus Five Validity” policy mandates importers to partner with local manufacturers to establish production facilities in Nigeria, strengthening local capacity and ensuring better oversight of quality standards. Prof. Adeyeye highlighted that NAFDAC’s collaboration with international regulatory authorities and INTERPOL will further enhance Nigeria’s ability to detect and remove SF medicines from the market, protecting the health and safety of Nigerian citizens.
