Pharmaceutical distributors have called for stronger enforcement of existing regulations and greater regional collaboration among regulators to curb the circulation of falsified and substandard medicines across Africa.

They said weaknesses in traceability, documentation, storage, transportation and distribution networks continued to create opportunities for compromised products to enter the pharmaceutical supply chain.

The concerns are expected to feature prominently at the fourth Thematic General Assembly of the African Pharmaceutical Distribution Association (APDA) and Pharmaceutical Wholesalers and Distributors Association of Nigeria (PWDAN) Conference, scheduled for October in Lagos.

The conference, themed “Advancing Pharmaceutical Distribution in Africa: Building Secure Supply Chains Against Falsified Medicines,” is expected to develop an action framework with recommendations on traceability, serialisation, authentication technologies and supply chain security.

Chairman of PWDAN, Ogheneochuko Omaruaye, said the circulation of falsified and substandard medicines had become a major public health and economic concern, with implications for human lives and public confidence in healthcare systems.

He said compromised medicines could result in treatment failure, antimicrobial resistance, avoidable illness and death, while also causing economic losses to governments and legitimate businesses.

Omaruaye stressed the need to secure every stage of the pharmaceutical supply chain, from manufacturing and importation to warehousing, transportation, wholesale distribution and dispensing.

He said regulators and governments should strengthen enforcement of existing policies and ensure that manufacturers, importers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers are held accountable for maintaining supply chain integrity.

According to him, Nigeria has no shortage of policies or documentation, but effective implementation remains a major challenge. He said policies on supply chain integrity introduced more than a decade ago required stronger enforcement and continuous review to address emerging threats.

Omaruaye said producing quality medicines and investing in healthcare infrastructure would not be enough if products could be compromised before reaching patients, stressing the need for supply chains that are secure, traceable and accountable.

He also called for stronger collaboration between regulators and industry stakeholders, as well as regional regulatory harmonisation, warning that weaknesses in one country’s supply chain could develop into a wider regional challenge.

Omaruaye said Nigeria’s strategic position in Africa’s pharmaceutical ecosystem meant that developments in its distribution system had implications beyond its borders. He added that a strong and transparent distribution network could contribute to medicine security across West Africa and the continent.

He said the assembly would also focus on warehousing standards, transportation conditions, temperature monitoring, humidity control and other requirements for preserving the quality of pharmaceutical products throughout the supply chain.

According to him, the organisers expect the meeting to produce a Lagos Declaration on Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Integrity, containing recommendations for governments, regulators, manufacturers and distributors across Africa.

Other expected outcomes include a continent-wide capacity development roadmap for pharmaceutical distribution, stronger compliance with good distribution practices and increased investment in warehousing, cold-chain systems, transportation networks and digital technologies.

To address demand-side challenges, Omaruaye said consumer education initiatives would be promoted to encourage responsible medicine purchasing and improve public awareness of falsified products.

He described the assembly as an opportunity for governments, regulators, distributors, manufacturers, healthcare professionals, technology partners and development organisations to work together to secure Africa’s pharmaceutical supply chains and strengthen public confidence in medicines.