The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intercepted expired, yet revalidated pharmaceuticals valued at N15 million from a pharmacy in Jos.
In a related operation, the agency also confiscated unregistered alcoholic beverages worth over N30 million from retail outlets in the Plateau capital and the nearby Bukuru metropolis.
Shaba Mohammed, the Director of NAFDAC North Central Zone, revealed on Thursday in Jos that the regulatory body had previously received reports concerning the sale of expired drugs by the pharmacy.
According to Mr Mohammed, the pharmacy engaged in the practice of tampering with expiry date markings on pharmaceuticals to extend their shelf lives.
Further elaborating, he explained that during the raid, NAFDAC discovered a room in the pharmacy piled with drugs stripped of their expiry dates, awaiting the imprint of new dates.
“During the raid, we discovered that the pharmacy has a room where expiry dates were cleaned off and the drugs revalidated. These pharmaceuticals consist of both oral and injectable medications,’’ he said.
Following the discovery, NAFDAC has sealed the pharmacy and arrested the pharmacist who failed to produce his current licence to practice as a pharmacist and the current operational licence of the pharmacy.
Mr Mohammed also cautioned the public against purchasing pharmaceuticals from unregistered pharmacies, emphasizing the need to promptly report any concerns about drugs to the nearest NAFDAC office or through the telephone hotline: 08033034666.
He further advised consumers of beverages and packaged foods to always check for NAFDAC registration numbers on such products.
Assuring the public, Mr Mohammed stated that the raids on pharmacies and shops in Plateau would persist until the state is free of substandard and unsafe products.
(NAN)
