Pfizer seeks stakeholders’ collaboration to fight against fake medicines

Pfizer has sought collaboration with relevant stakeholders to promote good health and contain fake drugs in the country.

Country Manager/Cluster Lead West Africa, Olayinka Subair, who gave the charge when the President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Prof. Cyril Usifoh, paid a courtesy visit to the company’s office in Nigeria, stressed the need for industry players to join forces in creating awareness around the dangers of counterfeit medicines and pharmaceutical products.

According to Subair, fake drugs often miss key ingredients and dosages, and in some cases, contain harmful ingredients.

He said patients, who consume them, including life-saving medicines for cancer and heart diseases, lose the therapeutic benefits they rely on to treat their conditions.

“Pfizer is seeking collaboration with government agencies, pharmaceutical organisations, doctors, pharmacists and industry partners to help raise awareness of the growing problem of counterfeit medicines.

“Together, we seek to tackle this threat to health by stopping counterfeits before they reach patients, giving consumers information they need to make the right choices, and supporting healthcare providers in our communities,” he said.

In his remarks, the PSN President said the organisation remained committed to maintaining a high standard of professional ethics and discipline among members, and would partner with Pfizer.

“We would see how we can amplify by reaching out to stakeholders and see how far we can go in driving this campaign successfully,” he said.