By Biola Lawal
Abuja ( Flowerbudnews): The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC) has debunked as misleading, report alleging that nearly all paracetamol tablets in Nigeria were possibly underdosed.
NAFDAC Director General, Prof Moji Adeyeye gave the clarification in a statement she personally signed which was made available to newsmen, including Flowerbudnews on Monday in Abuja.
Prof Adeyeye described the claims as misleading and questionable, saying: ”NAFDAC is aware of a recent story presently being circulated on social media alleging that nearly all paracetamol tablets sold in Nigeria are under dosed.”
The NAFDAC Boss stated that the Agency had
‘received a copy of the publication of the research finding of the subject and stated ”categorically that the report is misleading, and the science is questionable.”
”As the quality culture of NAFDAC demands, as soon as the Agency became aware of the news, the Director General, had meetings with the respective Directors and gave a directive that a survey of the market should be done to sample and test, ” She explained.
The Director General also met with the leadership of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Group of the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria to inform them of the Agencys intent.
‘:NAFDACs laboratories are ISO 17025-certified every year to ensure that the procedures used for testing are based on international standards and the equipment or instruments used are qualified similarly. ” She stated, adding;
”We do yearly post-marketing survey of medicines to ensure that the quality and safety are maintained.
‘:Where there is a deviation from this, i.e., whenever we find any regulated product to be substandard or falsified, NAFDAC regularly issues public alerts or do recalls,’:. Prof Adeyeye said.
The NAFDAC Boss disclosed; ”in the last two years we have issued eighty-eight (88) public alerts and ordered thirty-two (32) recalls for medicines and foods.”
”We are using this medium to assure the public that NAFDAC is using international standards and scientific method to survey the paracetamol product where samples are collected from different parts of the country in the right amount and will be tested using well calibrated, and qualified state-of-the-art equipment or instruments.
”This is part of our routine regulatory post marketing surveillance among others throughout the life cycle of a medicine.
‘:We want to reiterate that NAFDAC has five ISO-17025 Laboratories across the country, and a WHO Prequalified Laboratory at Yaba Lagos where medicines are tested for quality and safety,” Prof Adeyeye emphasised.
She disclosed that the NAFDAC ”laboratories test medicines using official monographs of British Pharmacopeia, United States Pharmacopoeia, and International Pharmacopoeia.:”
”As soon as we finish the laboratory testing, we will update the public. NAFDAC wishes to reassure the public that the Agency is very vigilant in her responsibilities in safeguarding the health of the nation.
”It is on this basis that NAFDAC has been recognized by WHO as a stable, well-functioning agency, and by other international partners as an organisation that places premium on the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines, food, and other regulated products,” the Director General stated.
She reassured Nigerians of NAFDAC commitment to Safeguarding the Health of the Nation. (Flowerbudnews)
