NAFDAC gives drug fakers black eye

Posted by admin Headlines, NDLEA (Anti-Drug Agency) Friday, July 15th, 2011

Drug counterfeiters and fakers, who may have thought that the change of guards in the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), in 2007, would give them respite to ply their nefarious trade may have got a shock of their lives, as the agency’s leadership has embarked on a quiet revolution, which makes the war against fake drugs more effective. Indeed, in the last four years, NAFDAC has strengthened its tools for the arduous task of ensuring that drugs and processed food, made in the country or imported, are wholesome.

True to the promised of Dr. Paul Orhii, director general of NAFDAC, when he assumed office in 2007, straight from the United States, a robust programme for the effective examination and monitoring of drugs and food products in the country is being implemented, with cheering results. Now, NAFDAC laboratories, in Lagos, Agulu, in Anambra State and Kaduna, among others, have been substantially equipped with sophisticated and new machines, to ensure better results.

According to Mrs. Stella Denloye, director of laboratories, while conducting senior journalists round Oshodi and Yaba, Lagos labs recently, during a facility tour, NAFDAC has equipped its laboratories in such a way that the result of tests conducted in them would meet global standard.
Mr. Charles Nwachukwu, assistant director of laboratories, in charge of Agulu lab, also confirmed this while, explaining to journalists what they do to ensure that food and drugs in the country are good for human consumption. He said: “We, for instance, have 2010 edition of fume chamber, among other sophisticated and modern equipment.”

At the Oshodi, Yaba and Agulu laboratories of NAFDAC, Mrs. Denloye and Mr. Nwachukwu took pains to explain the processes food products and drugs go through before they are certified okay or otherwise.

At these laboratories, food products, drugs, medical equipment and devices as well as alcoholic and beverage drinks are carefully examined. Going round the laboratories puts one in a better position to appreciate the work NAFDAC does to safeguard Nigerians from harmful drugs and processed food.
For food, NAFDAC lab scientists test for compliance. This is done at the food compliance laboratory. Mrs. Denloye said of this laboratory: “Here, we analyse food content to ensure compliance and to ascertain that they are wholesome.” To do this, the agency relies on such equipment as ion chromatograph.
Before any food or drug is registered and, therefore, given NAFDAC numbers, they go through the registration laboratory. Products that pass the test are recommended for registration and, therefore, give clean bill of health to be released to the market. Imported products are also subjected to this test. The imported products are quarantined in warehouses, while the test goes on. If they pass, they are then released.

Activities in the water laboratories would excite anybody, who knows the dangers of bad water. In the lab, such equipment as smart spectrum spectrometers, are used to test elements in the water. Also, high performance liquid chromatograph is used for contaminants’ test.
NAFDAC also tests agricultural goods, for pesticide residue that could cause death. In the pesticide lab, risk level of food from pesticide use is tested. Seafood is also tested for radiation and others.
Nigerians, who have experienced or heard of the havoc of medical devices, would appreciate the activities of NAFDAC in the medical devices labs. In the labs, medical devices, like condoms, hand gloves, syringes and diapers are tested for leakages and strength. Also, tests in pharmaceutical labs are interesting. In these labs, drugs and medicines are tested for dissolubility, using absorption spectrometer. Also, quantity of active ingredients is tested.

Women, who use cosmetics may not know the processes such beauty products, as soap, lipsticks, creams, perfume and others pass through before they are allowed into the market. At the cosmetics labs, products are tested for contaminants of heavy metal and lead, ethanol content, perfume content. They are also tested for skin reaction.

On what happens at the pharmaceutical chemistry lab, Mr. Nwachukwu said: “In this lab, phico-chemical content of drugs are analysed. Also, we identify the active ingredients.”
The knockout, in NAFDAC activities, is the introduction of the Black Eye and Truscan. With these equipment, NAFDAC officials do on-the-spot tests on food products and drugs. With the equipment, it takes only a few seconds for NAFDAC to detect good products or fake.

It was gathered that NAFDAC officials go to markets and supermarkets to test food products and drugs on sale. Such products are put into the equipment and the result is pronounced immediately.
Mrs. Denloye said: “In our continuous monitoring, to ensure that food products and drugs are always of the specified standard, our officials go to markets unannounced with the Black Eye and Truscan. Products are tested on-the-spot and fake ones are immediately detected.”

The laboratory director said that products that are detected to be substandard, in such random tests, are impounded and their sales stopped. She revealed that the agency has the power to also withdraw approval earlier given, if such surprise test proves that products no longer meet the requirement.
Saturday Sun gathered that while the Oshodi and Yaba labs covers the Lagos and South West areas, Agulu laboratory takes care of South East and South South. The Agulu lab was built by former NAFDAC DG, Prof. Dora Akunyili and upgraded by the current boss, Orhii. The lab complex has 10 typical and eight non-typical labs, with about 30 staffers.

Interestingly, it’s not only enforcement and monitoring that NAFDAC now takes interest in. The agency works with local drug manufacturing firms. This programme was implemented with JAHUL, in Awka. NAFDAC worked with the drugs manufacturing company from scratch till the completion stage.
“The DG believes that when local manufacturers are guided from beginning they would get it right. NAFDAC offers technical assistance that help the financiers of such companies to put everything needed for standard operation,” Alhaji Abubakar Jimoh told Saturday Sun.

-Sun

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