Members of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) have appealed to the National Assembly (NASS) to amend some provisions of the existing laws to tackle the menace of fake drugs and unwholesome food substances in the country. In a letter to the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the national chairman, Ambrose Eze, raised the alarm over the renewed influx of fake drugs, counterfeit products, and unwholesome foods and drinks into Nigeria. He said ‘’over 50 percent of drugs in circulation are fake and substandard as against the official figures of between 13 percent and 15 percent.
’’ In the letter titled: “Renewed Influx of Fake and Counterfeit Drugs and Unwholesome Foods and Drinks in Nigeria’’, the association said although ‘’the dilemma of fake drugs and unwholesome foods has always been with us in Nigeria’’ the ugly trend has surged significantly in the last five years. “The influx of fake drugs, foods, and especially drinks in Nigeria has become a major source of worry in contemporary times. Our usually reliable and dependable research-based efforts indicate that we are back to the days of over 50 percent of drugs in circulation being fake and substandard as against the official figures hovering between 13 percent and 15 percent.
’’ ACPN traced the prevalence of fake drugs and unwholesome food products in Nigeria to over three decades ago, adding that promulgation of laws over time to check the development had helped very little.
