The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has called on Nigerians to join in the fight against counterfeit and fake medical products.
NAFDAC revealed that this can be done by through her latest verification app, the Greenbook.
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Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of the agency, made this appeal at the opening ceremony of a two-day sensitization and awareness workshop on the Greenbook, traceability project, and pediatric policy in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
She explained that the NAFDAC app, Greenbook, which carries a comprehensive database of registered pharmaceutical products in Nigeria, was introduced to help the agency combat the modern methods deployed in the production and circulation of counterfeit medicines.
Represented by the NAFDAC Director of the Post-Marketing Surveillance Directorate, , Fraden Bitrus, Adeyeye disclosed that the workshop aims to foster partnerships between regulators and stakeholders in fighting against substandard and fake medical products.
In her words, “Counterfeiters 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.
“The NAFDAC Greenbook is an online resource for identifying a product’s source. Users can enter the product name, brand name, or registration number to verify its registration status.
“If 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.”
She further disclosed that Nigeria is the first country in Africa and the second globally to adopt this technology. She went ahead to encourage key players in the healthcare sector to support measures directed at eliminating substandard and fake medical products.
Adeyeye stressed the importance of providing quality, safe, and effective medicines for Nigerians. She urged stakeholders to work together to achieve this objective.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Adaeze Oreh, also confirmed the state’s commitment to collaborating with NAFDAC in the fight against fake drugs.
The commissioner of health represented by the Rivers State Coordinator for Drug and Substance Abuse Control and Focal Person for Pharmacovigilance, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Quanta Dappa, applauded the NAFDAC DG for her efforts in ensuring that the country is free from unsafe drugs.
Dappa stated, “We are very pleased with the commitment of the NAFDAC DG and her team in eliminating these unscrupulous elements from our society.”
“As 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.”
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Oligbu Chukwuma, the NAFDAC Director for the South-South Zone, stated that policies are in place to ensure state coordinators in the zone implement necessary steps to limit the spread of substandard medical products.
Chukwuma explained that part of the anti-counterfeit measures in place, he regularly visits the states and receives monthly reports on their activities, supported with evidence.
While speaking with press men during the event, he said “I 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.”
“The Greenbook app can be downloaded via the Apple Store or Google Play Store using the link: greenbook.nafdac.gov.ng.”
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