The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged Nigerians to start using its latest app, known as the Greenbook, which is capable of verifying and detecting fake drugs.

The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said that by using the app, Nigerians will be involved in the agency’s aggressive fight against the circulation of fake medical products.

The NAFDAC DG stated this in Port Harcourt at the ongoing two-day sensitisation and awareness workshop on Greenbook, traceability projects, and pediatric policy in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The NAFDAC DG explained that the NAFDAC Greenbook, a comprehensive database of registered drug products in Nigeria, was introduced to help the agency measure up to advanced methods being deployed in the production and spread of counterfeits.

Represented by the Director of Post-Marketing Surveillance Directorate, NAFDAC, Fraden Bitrus, the NAFDAC DG stressed that the workshop aims to ensure that the regulators and the regulated are on the same page in combating substandard and falsified medical products.

She said, “Now, the counterfeiters have assumed more sophisticated dimensions to advance their trade. Therefore, the agency is poised to use technologies and modern means to mitigate the activities of counterfeiters, and therefore, the need for sensitisation of stakeholders is apt.

“The NAFDAC Greenbook is an online resource for identifying a product’s source. Enter the product name, brand name, or registration number to search for information about its registration status.

“If the product is listed in the Greenbook, it signifies that it has been registered by NAFDAC and is considered authentic. The Greenbook serves as a tool to help consumers identify and avoid potentially fake or substandard products.”

The NAFDAC DG stated further that Nigeria is the first in Africa to use this technology and the second leading country in the world to use it. She encouraged stakeholders in the healthcare space to support the initiatives to combat substandard and falsified medical products and ensure the provision of quality, safe, and efficacious medical products to Nigerians.

The Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Adaeze Oreh, assured the state’s commitment to working with NAFDAC to clamp down on fake drugs in the state.

Represented by the Rivers State Coordinator, Drug and Substance Abuse Control/Focal Person for Pharmacovigilance, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Pharm. Quanta Dappa, Oreh appreciated the NAFDAC DG for her efforts in ensuring that the country is free from unsafe drugs.

She said, “We are very excited about the commitment of the NAFDAC DG and her team in ridding our society of these unscrupulous elements.

“As a state, we have the task force on counterfeit, substandard, and fake drugs. And it’s pleasing also to mention here that NAFDAC is very much a part of that team. We are committed to ensuring that we clamp down on these unpatriotic citizens who are selling death to our people.”

On his part, the NAFDAC Director, South-South Zone, Oligbu Chukwuma, said measures are in place to ensure that state coordinators in the zone implement the necessary steps to curb the spread of counterfeit and fake medical products in the zone. (The Guardian)