Olusegun Ariyo
Pharmacists under the platform of Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), have alerted Nigerians that no fewer than 50 per cent of drugs in circulation are fake and substandard drugs.
ACPN National Chairman, Pharmacist Ambrose Igwekamma Ezeh, made this declaration in a statement ahead of the 44th annual national conference of the association.
The statement was made available to Urban Express News Online Friday evening.
Ezeh maintained that the influx of fake drugs, foods and drinks had become a major source of worry in contemporary times in the country.
He lamented that as of now, over 50% of drugs that were in circulation across the country were fake and substandard.
Ezeh explained that fake drugs have negative effects on individuals, groups and the society at large.
According to him, apart from the dangers that Nigerians were familiar with in the case of fake drugs, the fake drink conundrum was assuming another dimension, championed by modern-day merchants of death.
Ezeh then advised the National Assembly to, as a matter of urgency, amend the existing Fake Drug and Unwholesome Food Act.
He added that this will help to tackle the menace.
“Our usually reliable and dependable research-based efforts indicate that we are back to the days of over 50% of drugs in circulation being fake and substandard as against official figures hovering between 13% and 15%,” he said.
