July 07, (THEWILL) — Pharmacists on the platform of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) have warned that no fewer than 50 percent of drugs currently in circulation across the country are fake or substandard.
The ACPN National Chairman, Mr Ambrose Ezeh, made this known in a statement issued ahead of the association’s 44th Annual National Conference last Friday.
Expressing deep concern over the increasing prevalence of fake drugs, foods, and drinks, Ezeh described the situation as a major source of worry in the country.
“As of now, over 50 percent of drugs in circulation across the country are fake and substandard.
“Our usually reliable and dependable research-based efforts indicate that we are back to the days of over 50 percent of drugs in circulation being fake and substandard, as against official figures hovering between 13 percent and 15 percent,” Ezeh said, lamenting that the situation is deteriorating.
Over the past decades, stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry have consistently cried out against the danger posed by fake drugs to the Nigerian society but to no avail. Only a few people bother to listen and response from government is often very slow and ineffective.
According to research, some drugs do contain real antibiotics or antivirals but at a much lower dosage than listed on the product label. This is usually not enough to fully treat the disease, thereby giving pathogens a chance to mutate and spread and cause more problems for public health. That is why they are rightly labelled fake or counterfeit drugs.
History has shown that the continued distribution of this class of medicines and their prevalence in the market, despite efforts by relevant government agencies to the contrary, has led to the death of many Nigerians.
Of course, everybody knows that using fake drugs can lead to severe health risks, which stem from harmful ingredients, incorrect dosages or the absence of crucial components, just the way adulterated food can cause immediate issues like food poisoning or long-term health problems like cancer or organ damage.
More often than not, fake drugs contain incorrect ingredients, incorrect dosages, even harmful substances, which lead to treatment failure, drug resistance and death.
Each time a consumer purchases counterfeit medicines he loses hard-earned money because the products are often of lower quality and may not last as long.
The fact that fake drugs cause a lot of damage to legitimate businesses, leading to revenue losses and job cuts, cannot be overemphasised.
Worse still, the prevalence of fake products can destroy the images of reputable brands and make it difficult for consumers to trust their legitimate businesses.
At this juncture, we call on the National Assembly to urgently amend the existing Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act to strengthen the legal framework for tackling this menace.
