By Asmau Ahmad
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said it has stepped up its distribution inspection to monitor the activities of open drug markets.
This was made known on Thursday by NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, in Lagos.
Open drug market refers to uncontrolled and undefined buying and selling of medicine with or without proper approval.
Adeyeye told newsmen that the measure was among several efforts to monitor and inspect drug distribution pending when a coordinated wholesale centres would be set up across the country.
“Prof. Isaac Adewole, a former Minister for Health was very big on the open drug market. He wanted all the market to be closed and be in a place called coordinated wholesales centres in Lagos, Aba, Onitsha and Kano.
“This was before I became NAFDAC D-G in 2017 and the one in Kano, which is a very massive drug market has been completed.
“NAFDAC and the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria both have offices in the mall to ensure proper monitoring and distribution.
“The other three are yet to come up and that is why we have stepped up our distribution inspection to know how and where drugs are stored for safe usage,” she said.
The D-G said the agency had inspected more than 900 distribution centres in the country.
She said that investigation and enforcement were also part of the activities carried out to ensure drug safety.
“We go for raids unannounced and we have seized and destroyed drugs worth billions of naira in the country,” she said.
