The National  Food and Drug Administrations Control (NAFDAC), has come under serious knocks from the National Association of Patent Medicine Dealers (NAPMD) in Rivers State over rising incidence of fake drugs in the state.

The two bodies, while trading blames at a one day seminar organised by the agency for Patent and Proprietory Medicine Dealers in Port Harcourt  said both were responsible for the menace.

Responding to a paper titled, “Health Implications of Adulterated Products and Substandard Regulated Products” presented by Dr. Musa Umar of the Port Inspection Unit of NAFDAC, Chairman of NAPMD in Port Harcourt Mr. Onyewoke Justin said the agency failed in sanitinising membership of the body, but rather registered all sorts of persons as far as they are able to pay the fees.

Mr. Onyewoke flaked NAFDAC in the state for poor supervision and control at the local levels, since a lot of its members st the local areas were in dire need of constant training to meet challenges.

Another member of NAPMD in Eleme Unit, Patience Eke picked holes on the agency’s lapses in registration and approval of drugs.

Eke argued that at most times most of the drugs disapproved by NAFDAC still have the agency’s numbers as she decried the contradictory adverts made by the agency on list of drugs endorsed by it.

She submitted that the posture of NAFDAC at most times betrays their position on banning harmful drugs.

Some of the drugs under controversy include Novalgin, Ibrufen and antesonates – covering some anti-malarials that have been banned for retail by drug dealers.

Similarly, Baribo Kunanwe observed that since NAFDAC has failed in checking the influx of fake drugs in the state the establishment of a Central Drug Store was necessary.

He said if a Central Drug Store was established it would ensure that patent medicine dealers buy genuine products from the authorities.

Mr. Kunanwe also knocked NAFDAC for the increasing number of quacks in the industry. He insisted that unless the federal agency was alive to its responsibilities the menace of fake drugs would persist.

Responding, Dr. Musa Umar Deputy Director of Port Inspection said the burden of checking fake drugs was not the responsibility of the agency but all, especially the drug dispensers.

He emphasised that any drug that does  not have NAFDAC registration number should be discarded, while condemning the attitude of most patent medicine drugs dealers for evading registration and training.

Meanwhile the Rivers State Government has threatened to arrest any patent medicine dealer who indulges in the sale of fake and counterfeit drugs to the public.

The State Commissioner for Health Dr. Sampson Parker who said this while declaring open a sensitisation workshop for Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers organised by the National Agency for Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Port Harcourt yesterday also threatened to close down any patent medicine store whose licences have not been renewed.

The Commissioner who was represented by Dr. Elizabeth Didia the secretary of the Rivers State Taskforce on fake and counterfeit Drug said that the workshop is an indication of the high regard which both the federal and state Governments have for them.

Dr. Parker who chaired the occasion stressed the need for them to assist the government by  exposing those who continue to deal in fake and counterfeit drugs.

Meanwhile the National Agency for Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it has adopted the use of cutting Edge Technologies to check the incidence of fake and adulterated drugs in the country.

The Director General of the Agency Dr. Paul Orii who disclosed this in Port Harcourt that the move has not only boosted the International ratings of NAFDAC but more positive results in the fight against fake drugs are being obtained.

The Director General who was represented by the South South Zonal Director of the Agency, Mrs Lilian Duru also said that the Agency has become the first to deploy Truscan, a hand held device at borders and within the country to counterfeit medicine on the spot.

The Agency he said has also launched the world’s first mobile Authentication service which uses test messages for end-Patient regulated medication authentication while a Radio frequency identification system for verification of regulated products and documents have also been launched.

John Bibor