The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has conducted a sensitisation workshop in Karu, Federal Capital Territory, to promote patient safety and encourage responsible medicine use among residents.

The workshop targeted community leaders and faith-based organisations (FBOs), who are expected to extend awareness campaigns to households, churches, mosques and community groups.

Speaking at the event, NAFDAC director of Pharmacovigilance Services, Uchenna Elemuwa, said the workshop aimed to promote rational medicine use and strengthen patient safety across Nigeria’s healthcare system and communities.

Represented by Hauwa Makama, deputy director of food and drug information, Mr Elemuwa described the workshop as timely and critical to improving healthcare delivery and safeguarding public health nationwide.

He said rational medicine use remained a cornerstone of effective healthcare systems globally, noting that medicines saved lives, reduced suffering, prevented complications and significantly improved quality of life.

Mr Elemuwa, however, warned that medicines could become dangerous when misused, overused, underused or improperly prescribed, leading to serious health consequences and avoidable risks for patients.

“The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines Rational Use of Medicines as a situation where patients receive medications appropriate to their clinical needs, in doses that meet their own individual requirements. The medications should be taken for an adequate period of time and at the lowest cost to them and their community.

“Unfortunately, irrational use of medicines has become a major global public health challenge. It manifests in several ways, including self-medication without professional guidance,” he said. Others are abuse and misuse of antibiotics, polypharmacy or excessive use of multiple medicines, incorrect dosing, and non-adherence to prescribed treatment.

“Also, the use of counterfeit and substandard medicines, drug sharing among family and friends, and patronage of unauthorised drug vendors. These practices contribute significantly to treatment failure, adverse drug reactions, prolonged illness, hospitalisation, increased healthcare costs, disability, and avoidable deaths,” he said.

According to him, one of the gravest consequences of irrational medicine use today is Antimicrobial Resistance, commonly known as AMR.

“The misuse and overuse of antibiotics have accelerated the emergence of resistant microorganisms. This means that infections previously treatable with common antibiotics are becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to manage,” he said, warning that antimicrobial resistance threatens decades of medical progress.

Mr Elemuwa stressed that urgent action was needed to address the challenge while encouraging Nigerians to exercise caution when taking medicines and always seek professional medical guidance.

He described pharmacovigilance as the science and activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse effects or other medicine-related problems affecting patients.

According to him, pharmacovigilance helps ensure medicines remain safe and effective after approval and market release, noting that no medicine is completely free from side effects.

He recommended continuous professional education for healthcare workers on rational prescribing and medicine safety to strengthen medicine use practices and improve pharmacovigilance systems nationwide.

Other recommendations included expanding public awareness campaigns against self-medication and antibiotic misuse, encouraging adverse drug reaction reporting, and integrating digital technologies into pharmacovigilance reporting systems.

He also advocated stronger collaboration among regulatory agencies, healthcare institutions, professional bodies, academia and civil society organisations, alongside intensified enforcement against counterfeit and substandard medicines.

Hafsat Gwaran, director of disease control at the FCT Primary Health Care Board, urged participants to report adverse drug reactions, emphasising that citizens’ voices were vital in protecting public health.

“When we notice any reaction with a particular drug, we need to report; whatever report you write or pass on, it is what will help stem further reactions,” Ms Gwaran said.

Also speaking, Salamatu Orakwe of the Pharmacy Society of Nigeria (PSN), FCT Council, commended NAFDAC for organising the workshop, noting that many deaths had resulted from adverse drug reactions.

She said patient safety remained a priority for the PSN FCT Council and pledged continued support for initiatives promoting medicine safety and public health awareness.

Responding on behalf of the community, Joseph Danfulani-Nareti, the Sakamuyi of Karu, commended NAFDAC for the programme and described it as highly beneficial to residents.

He said many people were unaware of the dangers associated with improper medicine use, adding that participants had gained valuable knowledge through the sensitisation exercise.

(NAN)