NAFDAC Tasks Corps Members On Fake Drugs

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has urged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Bayelsa State to use their community development service platform and contacts to champion the agency’s crusade of zero tolerance to fake and counterfeit drugs.

The coordinator of the agency in the state, Mr Godwin Akwa who said this during the inauguration of NAFDAC/NYSC development service group in Yenegoa, the state capital enjoined them to be agents of change and use their service year to impact positively on the people in their various areas of primary assignment.

“You are to use your CDs platform to spread NAFDAC message against drug hawking, use of potassium bromate and  saccharine in bread production, sales of salt in 25kg/50kg bags, use of Vitamin A unfortified foods such as vegetable oil, flour and sugar, adulteration of palm oil with Azo dyes,” he said.

The NAFDAC coordinator also charged the corps members to report incidence of Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) to health care providers for documentation and onward submission to NAFDAC to ensure safe use of medicines.

He further told them to report production of unregistered regulated products and those clandestinely produced, sales of fake/expired products, unhygienic storage and production of packaged water among others.

“Educate your constituencies to always look out for NAFDAC registered numbers (NRN), expiry date, best before date, manufacturing date, batch number, name and location address before buying or using NAFDAC regulated products” Akwa stated.

The leader of the NYSC group, Mr Kingsley Ekwunife promised to galvanise the CDS group in actualising NAFDAC mandate and objectives in their areas of primary assignment.