Plateau Govt. begins war against substandard drugs

The Plateau State Drugs and Medical Commodities Management Agency, says it has initiated a war against the distribution and sales of counterfeit and substandard drugs and medical commodities in the state.

Mr Kim Bot, the Executive Secretary (ES) of the agency, disclosed this on Sunday in Jos, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Bot said the agency aimed to achieve its goal through some modalities it had put in place, including the establishment of a Drug Quality Control Laboratory.

The ES, who is also a trained and practicing pharmacist, said the laboratory would be manned by highly skilled and experienced professionals.

According to him, these professionals will be analysing all the drugs imported and produced in the state, to ensure they contain the correct ingredients in the correct proportions (Assay Analysis).

He said the laboratory would also conduct product stability studies, so drugs and medical commodities that were below standard would not see the light of the day in Plateau.

He also revealed that the agency had commenced the profiling of various pharmaceutical companies in the state, to ensure that their products were vetted for quality by the agency.

Bot said the profiling was aimed at ensuring a standard operating procedure, as well as addressing the issue of cost.

According to him, with these measures, the growing issues of renal (kidney) and heart failures, as well as other medical complications associated with counterfeit and substandard drugs, will be reduced to the barest minimum.

Bot, said the agency would soon give out its toll free lines to the public to confirm if the over the counter medications they intended taking were safe.

He revealed that the agency would be working in collaboration the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration & Control (NAFDAC).

NAN, reports that the agency was established in 2022, to address the issues of access, quality, availability and affordability of drugs in the state.