By Sodiq Adelakun
The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye on Thursday warned Nigerians against purchasing medicines from corner stores or kiosks, warning that such drugs may be of questionable quality and source.
She issued the warning during a press briefing on bioequivalence, a growing global issue, and reiterated it in an interview with newsmen.
Prof. Adeyeye urged the public to avoid unregulated sources when buying medicine, saying, “Please do not go to the corner store or kiosk to buy medicines, you don’t know the source. Go to certified pharmacies where you can obtain receipts. If you give us the receipt, we can trace the source.”
She cited a past incident in the Northwest zone where a medicine purchased from an uncertified source failed to work. NAFDAC investigated, identified the source, and took regulatory action by shutting down the production line or company until it complied with standards.
Prof. Adeyeye emphasised that NAFDAC is adopting various strategies to ensure that all medicines consumed in Nigeria are of high quality, safe, and effective.
According to her, bioequivalence refers to ensuring that generic versions of innovative drugs maintain the same quality, safety, and efficacy.
She stressed that any newly submitted product must now come with bioequivalence (BE) data, and the agency is implementing this requirement gradually.
“NAFDAC is working to use different approaches to ensure that the products you and I take are of quality—they are safe and efficacious.
“For imported products, we have engaged Indian manufacturers virtually to ensure that any medicine exported into Nigeria is of acceptable quality and supported with BE study reports.
“We are building an ecosystem around bioequivalence and being very strict about who can conduct testing. All reports submitted to us must be certified. No one can fabricate data and submit it to NAFDAC, we are very stringent,”she added.
She further explained that the transition to full bioequivalence compliance is a phased process, with a focus on essential medicines such as antimalarials, antibiotics, and products for maternal and child health.
Prof. Adeyeye assured the public of NAFDAC’s ongoing efforts to protect public health and ensure that only quality-assured medicines are available in the Nigerian market.