The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has directed local manufacturers of pharmaceutical productsto uphold best practices, to ensure their products are internationally, acceptable.
This and other issues, key to the safety of lives and to the growth of the nation’s economy, formed the discourse at Agency’s engagement with local manufacturers, exporters and importers of Pharmaceutical products, in Lagos.
The agency said it will no longer be business as usual for local manufacturers and importers of drugs and other pharmaceutical products. The Agency insists drugs coming into the country will from now, be thoroughly scrutinized for content quality.
NAFDAC expressed dissatisfaction that over 70% of locally manufactured drugs and foods, get rejected outside the country’s shores, for poor quality levels, leading to a huge loss of money, saying ports congestion, slowing down exportation processes, as compounding factors.
Harmful Tramadol, worth over a trillion naira in street value, were seized by NAFDAC in 2019. The Agency is hoping to have a 2020, with a better story about Tramadol, because India has decided to restrict the flow from its own shores.
The local manufacturers, exporters and importers said they understand the importance of keeping with regulatory standards, but the country’s business climate must be conducive.
To make things easier, NAFDAC said foods, simple cosmetics and water, can now be registered with the agency, within 90 working days. Also, drugs and other specified cosmetics can now be registered within 120 working days. It used to take a longer period to get products products certification, before now.
