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… Says killer cough syrups not registered by Agency
By Chioma Obinna
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, on Tuesday, raised the alarm over the activities of some impostors and fraudulent individuals who posed as the Director General of the Agency, Prof Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye via her social media accounts, Facebook and Linkedin.
The agency also disclosed that killer cough syrups currently being distributed in the Gambia have not been registered by NAFDAC.
Addressing a press briefing on the issues, the Director General of the Agency, Prof Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye claimed that the impostors are asking for money in exchange for employment and other favours.
Advising Nigerians to be wary of such individuals, she said: “NAFDAC does not demand gratification of any sort before carrying out its statutory duties.
“This is a security breach. NAFDAC and the Director General will never request for gratification to carry out its mandate.
“As a result of this, the social media account of the Director General will no longer be in use until further notice.
“Members of the public are hereby advised to exercise due caution and report any such activity to EFCC (+2348093322644) or Department of State Services (+2349153391309) in Nigeria. For International, call UK Interpol (+44 797 1153192) or US Federal Bureau of Investigation (+1-800-225-5324),” she stated.
Giving further clarification on the contaminated paediatric cough syrups circulating in the Gambia, Adeyeye said the medicine was never registered in Nigeria by NAFDAC.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) had issued a global alert for over four (4) cough syrups warning they could be linked to acute kidney injuries and the children’s deaths in July, August, and September in the Gambia.
Stating that over 66 children have died from the killer cough syrup she said: “This is a worrisome development which once again beams a searchlight on the essence of effective regulation and control of medical products.
“As a member of the WHO Programme on International Drug Monitoring and following our active participation in the WHO member state mechanism on substandard and falsified medical products, NAFDAC is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that these products do not cause harm to our people.
Adeyeye who said the Agency has put appropriate measures in place to prevent the entry of these spurious products from the various ports of entry added that they have activated internal surveillance mechanisms to mop up these products from the supply chain pipeline if they are ever found in Nigeria.
Adeyeye said to date the four products have been identified in The Gambia but may have been distributed, through informal markets, to other countries or regions, hence, the need to heighten vigilance.
She listed the syrups including; – Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup and were manufactured by an Indian company, Maiden Pharmaceuticals, which had failed to provide guarantees about their safety.
She further called on healthcare providers and the public to look out for these products.
According to the WHO report, laboratory analysis of samples of the four products confirms that they contain unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants.
Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are restricted chemicals which are toxic to humans when consumed and can prove fatal. These chemicals are closely related in chemical structure to propylene glycol which is the right vehicle for use in the manufacture of paediatric syrups. Poor quality control might have led to non-detection of these dangerous by-products and hence the fatality we have on our hands in the Gambia.”
Noting that the products can result in serious public consequences, the NAFDAC boss implored importers, distributors, retailers and consumers and stakeholders to exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain to avoid the importation, distribution, sale, and use of the substandard cough syrups.
“All medical products must be obtained from authorized/licensed suppliers. The products’ authenticity and physical condition should be carefully checked.”
She appealed to members of the public in possession of the listed products to discontinue sale or use and submit stock to the nearest NAFDAC office.
She said healthcare professionals, consumers and members of the public are encouraged to report any suspicion of adverse drug reactions and substandard and falsified medicines to NAFDAC at 0800-162-3322 or email: sf******@********ov.ng.
Adeyeye further explained that the toxic effects of the contamination in cough syrup include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state, and acute kidney injury which may lead to death.
The product details are Product Manufacture Product Name: Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited (Haryana, India), Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup.
“All batches of these products listed above should be considered unsafe. The substandard products in this alert are unsafe and their use, in children and adults, will result in serious injury or death. These products are not registered by NAFDAC, therefore should not be in circulation,” she added.
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