Jumoke Olasunkanmi
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a public alert on five Pakistan manufactured syrups and suspension medicines, saying they are contaminated and their intake may lead to death.
It also warned that they may have been illegally distributed into the Nigerian market through formal amd informal channels, though they have not been approved by NAFDAC.
In a statement released on X on Friday, NAFDAC noted that health authorities across World Health Organisation (WHO) regions in the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia, and Western Pacific have issued a joint warning regarding the same medicines.
The affected products, identified as Alergo Syrup, Emidone Suspension, Mucorid Syrup, Ulcofin Suspension, and Zincell Syrup, all manufactured by Pharmix Laboratories LTD in Pakistan, are deemed unsafe for use, particularly for children as the ingestion of these substandard medicines may lead to severe injury or even death, according to NAFDAC.
The agency, therefore, urged Importers, distributors, retailers and consumers to exercise caution and heighten vigilance within the supply chain to prevent the importation, distribution, sale and use of these ‘compromised cough syrups.’
NAFDAC emphasised the need for obtaining medical products exclusively from authorised and licensed suppliers, while urging stakeholders to meticulously verify the authenticity and physical condition of pharmaceuticals to ensure public safety.
