The Plateau State Drugs and Medical Commodities Management Agency said it initiated a war against the distribution and sales of counterfeit and substandard drugs and medical commodities in the state.

The Executive Secretary of the agency, Kim Bot, disclosed this on Sunday in Jos, during an interview.

Mr Bot said the agency aimed to achieve its goal through some modalities it put in place, including the establishment of a Drug Quality Control Laboratory.

The ES, who is also a trained and practising pharmacist, said the laboratory would be manned by highly skilled and experienced professionals.

According to him, the professionals will be analysing the drugs imported and produced in the state, to ensure they contain the correct ingredients in the correct proportions (Assay Analysis).

He said the laboratory would also conduct product stability studies, so that drugs and medical commodities below standard would not be found in Plateau.

He also noted that the agency had commenced the profiling of various pharmaceutical companies in the state to ensure that their products were vetted for quality by the agency.

Mr Bot said the profiling was aimed at ensuring a standard operating procedure, as well as addressing the issue of cost.

According to him, with these measures, the growing issues of renal (kidney) and heart failures, as well as other medical complications associated with counterfeit and substandard drugs, will be reduced to the barest minimum.

Mr Bot said the agency would soon give out its toll free lines to the public to confirm if the over-the-counter medications they intended taking were safe.

He said that the agency would be working in collaboration with the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration & Control.

The agency was established in 2022 to address the issues of access, quality, availability and affordability of drugs in the state.

(NAN)