By Josephine Adoni
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has called on Nigerians to actively participate in combating the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard pharmaceutical products.
The agency highlighted that this can be achieved by utilizing its newly launched verification tool, the Greenbook app.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made this appeal on Wednesday during the opening session of a two-day workshop focused on raising awareness about the Greenbook, traceability initiatives, and pediatric medication policies in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Adeyeye explained that the NAFDAC Greenbook, an extensive repository of approved medicinal products in Nigeria, was developed to address the increasingly sophisticated techniques employed in the manufacture and distribution of falsified drugs.
Represented by the Director of the Post-Marketing Surveillance Directorate, Fraden Bitrus, Adeyeye stressed that the workshop aims to foster collaboration between regulators and stakeholders to effectively tackle the issue of substandard and falsified medical products.
She said, โCounterfeiters have become more sophisticated in advancing their trade. Therefore, the agency is committed to using technology and modern methods to mitigate their activities, making stakeholder sensitisation essential.
โThe NAFDAC Greenbook is an online resource for identifying a productโs source. Users can enter the product name, brand name, or registration number to verify its registration status.
โIf the product is listed in the Greenbook, it signifies that it has been registered by NAFDAC and is considered authentic. The Greenbook serves as a tool to help consumers identify and avoid potentially fake or substandard products.โ
The Director-General of NAFDAC further disclosed that Nigeria is the first African nation and the second globally to adopt this advanced technology.
She called on stakeholders in the healthcare industry to rally behind initiatives designed to eradicate substandard and falsified medical products, ensuring that Nigerians have access to safe, effective, and high-quality medications.
In her goodwill remarks, the Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Adaeze Oreh, reaffirmed the stateโs dedication to collaborating with NAFDAC to combat the circulation of counterfeit drugs.
Oreh, represented by Quanta Dappa, the Rivers State Coordinator for Drug and Substance Abuse Control and Focal Person for Pharmacovigilance at the State Ministry of Health, praised the NAFDAC DG for her relentless efforts in safeguarding the nation from unsafe and illicit drugs.
She said, โWe are very pleased with the commitment of the NAFDAC DG and her team in eliminating these unscrupulous elements from our society.
โAs a state, we have a task force on counterfeit, substandard, and fake drugs, and it is worth noting that NAFDAC is an integral part of that team. We are committed to clamping down on these unpatriotic individuals who are endangering lives.โ
The NAFDAC Director for the South-South Zone, Oligbu Chukwuma, stated that measures were in place to ensure state coordinators in the zone implement necessary steps to curb the spread of counterfeit medical products.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the event, Chukwuma said, โI visit the states, and they submit monthly reports on their activities, supported with evidence. This is all part of the anti-counterfeit measures in place. As you can see, there is zero tolerance for counterfeit drugs in Nigeria.โ
โThe Greenbook app can be downloaded via the Apple Store or Google Play Store using the link: greenbook.nafdac.gov.ng.โ
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