A Patent Medicine Dealer in Imo, Mr Edward Okere, has appealed to NAFDAC to check the indiscriminate use of fake numbers on drugs sold to the public.
Okere made the appeal in Owerri on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He advised the Agency to seek the support of security agents to track down those responsible for use of fake numbers on drugs not only in the state but across the country.
Okere noted that most of the fake drugs sold in patent medicine stores carry NAFDAC numbers, saying it was difficult for the dealers to know which of the numbers was fake.
He said the continuous raid on such stores by NAFDAC officials would only amount to “pursuing shadows'', as long as the actual manufacturers of the fake drugs were not traced and put out of business.
“The NAFDAC boss should borrow a leaf from Prof. Dora Akunnyili who went after the manufacturers of fake drugs rather than only the retailers.''
NAN reports that NAFDAC officials recently visited some local government areas in Owerri where they sealed some drug stores and confiscated drugs worth millions of naira.
In a related development, a Pharmacist, Mrs Uchenna Akakwam, who operates at Aboh Mbaise, has commended NAFDAC for its raid on drug stores, saying it had helped in keeping only the right drugs on the shelves.
She said the Agency’s fight against counterfeit drugs had also reduced incidences of untimely deaths and prolonged healing process of patients.
Akakwam advised her colleagues to always purchase drugs from genuine manufacturers so as not to run afoul of the law.
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