Recently, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) says there is an alarming rise in the use of fake drugs in Nigeria, the agency said over 70% of medical drugs being dispense in Nigeria are substandard and that the country is faced with a number of healthcare challenges, adding that the majority of Nigerians did not have access to health services. The agency made this known on its website ahead of the primary healthcare submit tagged: ‘Re-imaging primary healthcare in Nigeria.
Reacting to this, the Pharmacuetical Society of Nigeria in Rivers State has faulted the statement saying it is being painted by the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency. The Rivers State chairman of the association Chima Ogbu told our reporter that the revelation has no scientific proof. He said there is nothing like 70% of drug in circulation or being dispense in Nigeria that are substandard. He said the figures from the National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
as confirmed by one of the director Mr Jimoh is 3.6% and not 70%, adding that it is not as high as NPHCDA put it.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria in Rivers State explained that the issue of substandard fake drug circulation in Nigeria is not new, revealing that NAFDAC and PCN have been on top of it in terms of fighting to reduce it to the nearest minimum. But there has been challenges in terms of the enabling laws and implementation. He however call on the government to support NAFDAC and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria to end fake drug circulation.
