Pharmacists and other stakeholders in the North-East have called for more awareness campaigns to combat the circulation of counterfeit and falsified pharmaceuticals in the country.

The experts said the call was imperative to educate the people on the dangers of fake drugs and safeguard public health.

They spoke while responding to a survey on the circulation of fake drugs and chemicals in Bauchi, Damaturu, Dutse, Gombe, Maiduguri and Yola.

A pharmacist in Yobe, Madu Ali, said effective strategies were necessary to strengthen drug regulatory agencies to combat fake drugs.

Mr Ali, the head of the pharmaceutical services of the Specialists’ Hospital, Damaturu, said strengthening the agencies would enhance their operations to ensure that only genuine drugs were circulating in the country.

“If you strengthen the drugs management agencies, you will improve their capabilities from mere physical inspection of drug colours to full-fledged laboratory investigation,” he said.

He said there was an urgent need to ban drug hawking and caution the public against patronising open drug markets.

Mr Ali noted that although many suspected fake drugs were in circulation, only formal research could confirm the anomaly.

Josephine Audu, a victim of fake drugs in Gombe, urged NAFDAC to intensify the campaign to check the circulation of counterfeit drugs and chemicals.

Ms Audu noted that fake drugs caused adverse side effects rather than providing a remedy for diseases.

“I took a brand of Septrin tablet and developed skin rashes afterwards. I, alongside six other females, became ill and hospitalised after using the drug,” she stated, urging relevant authorities to step up the campaign to curb the menace.

(NAN)