NAFDAC Moves Against Wholesale Pharmacies Selling To Unauthorised Buyers After THE WHISTLER Report

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is poised to sanction wholesale pharmaceutical stores selling products to unlicenced buyers following a report by THE WHISTLER.

THE WHISTLER had published a special report on August 5, exposing the unwholesome practices of some wholesale pharmacies in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The report titled “how to buy and sell drugs without licence” detailed how unlicensed medicine sellers get drug supplies from unscrupulous wholesale pharmacies.

Some unregistered drug hawkers who get supplies from big pharmacies said they had never heard about NAFDAC – an indication that the regulator may be asleep.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria also blamed NAFDAC for not enforcing its regulations to save public health.

President of PSN, Sam Ohuabunwa, said drugs are supposed to be handled by authorized persons and stressed that NAFDAC was not doing enough.

Jimoh Abubakar, NAFDAC’s Director of Public Affairs, had also told this website that it was a “systemic problem” and the agency was trying to tackle it by enlightening the public on the dangers of consuming pharmaceutical products bought from hawkers.

But a few days after the report, the Pharmacovigilance and Post marketing unit of NAFDAC has moved against some of the pharmacies.

This was revealed in a message sent to THE WHISTLER by head of the unit, Fraden Bitrus, on August 11.

Bitrus requested the assistance of this website to trace some of the stores engaged in contravening its regulations.

“I wish to solicit your assistance to locate Odogwu wholesale medicine store in Lugbe. It was captured in your ‘Special Report on How to buy and sell drugs without license’ for necessary action,” he said.

The current NAFDAC Director-General, Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, was appointed in 2017 by President Muhammadu Buhari.