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The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has appealed to stakeholders in the medicine sales value-chain to actively join the agency to checkmate substandard and falsified medicines.

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The Director of NAFDAC in South-East, Mr Martins Iluyomade, made the plea in Enugu on Thursday during a one-day NAFDAC Community Sensitisation on Substandard and Falsified Medicines in Nigeria.

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Iluyomade said that the war against
substandard and falsified medicines
involves all stakeholders in the medicine supply and sales value-chain to ensure an holistic fight and assured verifiable results in the near future.

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According to him, the culture of keeping silence should stop as medicine sales do not have profit gains implication only but it has many lives saving implications.

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"All of us have a duty to protect everyone around us against substandard and falsified medicines as we have to think of taking critical stand against those that engage in the unwholesome practice.

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"As I speak, I am sure someone is somewhere still faking medicines and such injurious medicines find their into the drug markets and health facilities.

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"We should stand against substandard and falsified medicines and report to NAFDAC anyone selling or distributing chalks and other unwholesome substances as medicines," he said.

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Earlier, Mr Collins Ogedegbe, State Coordinator of NAFDAC in Enugu State, said that the sensitisation involved all stakeholders as NAFDAC believe that "it is necessary to engage in continuous dialogue to ensure no link in the medicine supply and sales value-chain is left behind."

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"We want to work with everybody as a team and ensure there will be no hiding place for any unwholesome practice within the medicine supply and sales value-chain in Enugu State," Ogedegbe said.

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Speaking, Mr Oliver Ezemba, Chairman of National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED), Ogbete Main Market (Unit A) Enugu, lauded NAFDAC as well as Bill and Melida Gates Foundation for the sensitisation and enlightenment of NAPPMED members and other stakeholders.

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Ezemba noted that it was gratifying that all members of NAPPMED had closed all shops to come and learn as well as ensure they follow due regulations and be more careful as they conduct their medicine sales businesses.

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"NAPPMED has been partnering in an active manner with NAFDAC and other agencies or bodies involved in medicine value-chain supply and sales all these years.

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"With today's interface and sensitisation, we will fashion out ways to work closely and by doing that checkmate all forms of substandard and falsified medicines sales and outlets.

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"I sincerely believe that when we collectively do this, we will be safe-guiding the lives of everybody around us," he said.

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Those that attended the sensitisation included: community pharmacists, representative of traditional rulers and community leaders as well as the media.