By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
NAFDAC has called on patent medicine dealers in Aba, Abia State, to uphold Good Storage and Distribution Practices (GSDP) and strengthen collaboration in safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical supply chain.
Speaking during an engagement with the Ekumi Patent Medicine Dealers and Ariaria Patent Medicine Dealers Associations, Festus Ukadike, the Director, South-East Zonal Office, emphasised that medicines are life-saving products whose quality, safety, and efficacy must be preserved throughout the distribution chain. He urged dealers to source medicines only from authorised channels, stock only NAFDAC-registered products, and maintain proper records to ensure traceability.
Dr. Ukadike warned against the sale, revalidation, relabelling, or alteration of expiry dates of medicines, describing such practices as illegal and a serious threat to public health. He encouraged stakeholders to promptly hand over expired medicines and other regulated products to NAFDAC for safe disposal, reiterating the Agency’s commitment to identifying and prosecuting individuals involved in the distribution of counterfeit, substandard, and falsified products.
The director also called on stakeholders to support the establishment of the Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) in Abia State, describing it as a critical step towards modernising pharmaceutical distribution in line with global best practices. He reaffirmed that NAFDAC remains committed to working collaboratively with legitimate medicine dealers to strengthen regulatory compliance, promote ethical business practices, and ensure that only safe, quality, and effective medicines reach the Nigerian public.
