NAFDAC Pledges To Put Pharmaceutical Traceability Into Effect.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has committed to adopt a pharmaceutical traceability plan to combat the threat of substandard and counterfeit medicines in the nation.
The clue was dropped during the Traceability Workshop in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, by Director General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye. The NAFDAC-organized workshop intended to complete the country’s draft Traceability of Pharmaceutical Products Regulations.
In a statement released yesterday by Sayo Akintola, the NAFDAC’s resident media consultant in Lagos, Adeyeye said that given the disorganized medication distribution system now in place in Nigeria, it is a difficult assignment to protect the country’s health. She emphasized the grave economic and health ramifications of the fabrication and diversion of medical supplies.
The head of NAFDAC claimed that taking into account these repercussions in light of the agency’s mandate to regulate and control the distribution of drugs and other regulated products is sufficient justification for implementing pharmaceutical traceability in order to support the fight against the threat of substandard and falsified medicines and enhance regulatory control of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical supply chain.
She said that as part of regulatory strengthening and reinforcing its purpose, NAFDAC is dedicated to implementing pharmaceutical traceability in the nation.
According to her, NAFDAC has created a Five-Year Traceability Implementation Plan in accordance with the goals of the Nigeria Pharmaceutical Traceability Strategy in order to increase supply chain visibility and fortify actions made to combat the problem of subpar and counterfeit medications.
However, Adeyeye pointed out that the adoption and implementation of the Nigeria Pharmaceutical Traceability Strategy’s requirements depend on the creation, publication in a national journal, and distribution of the Traceability of Pharmaceutical Products Regulations.
According to her, the legislation would provide a legislative framework to encourage advocacy for all stakeholders to establish traceability in the distribution of medications or supply chain. It would be complemented by guidance and compliance criteria.
