The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has alerted Nigerians to a fake popular malaria medication currently in circulation in the market.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports NAFDAC disclosed the name of the malaria medication as Combiart Dispersible Tablet 20/120mg and that it is manufactured by Strides Arcolab Limited, based in India.
According to the food and drugs agency, the counterfeit Combiart Dispersible was discovered in the federal capital territory (FCT) and in Rivers State, during surveillance activities conducted by officers of the Post Marketing Surveillance Directorate of NAFDAC.
“The Laboratory report of the analysis carried out on the product revealed that it contained Zero APIs. The product was also observed to have two different date markings.
“The NAFDAC database of registered products has confirmed that the product license has expired and the NAFDAC Registration Number on it is wrong and not for the product,” the agency stated.
TNG reports Artemether and Lumefantrine combination belongs to a group of medicines known as antimalarials. It treats malaria, a red blood cell infection transmitted by the bite of a mosquito.
“However, this medicine is not used to treat severe or complicated malaria,” NAFDAC disclosed.
According to the agency, counterfeit or falsified medicines endanger people’s health because they do not comply with regulatory standards, which means the safety, quality, and efficacy of these products are not ensured.
“The use of counterfeit medicines often fails to effectively treat diseases or conditions, leading to serious health consequences, including death,” NAFDAC stated.
The agency disclosed that all NAFDAC zonal directors and state coordinators have been directed to carry out surveillance and mop up the counterfeit products within the zones and states.
“Importers, distributors, retailers, healthcare professionals, and caregivers are hereby advised to exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain to avoid the importation, distribution, sale, and use of counterfeit products.
“All medical products must be obtained from authorized/licensed suppliers. The products’ authenticity and physical condition should be carefully checked.
“Healthcare professionals and consumers are advised to report any suspicion of the sale of substandard and falsified medicines or medical devices to the nearest NAFDAC office.
“Similarly, healthcare professionals and patients are also encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of medicinal products or devices to the nearest NAFDAC office, or through the use of the E-reporting platforms available on the NAFDAC website www.nafdac.gov.ng”, NAFDAC stated.