The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission says it will work with relevant authorities to prevent the entry or sale of substandard cough syrups in the country’s market.
A statement issued by Mr Babatunde Irukera, the Executive Vice Chairman of FCCPC in Abuja on Thursday, advised stakeholders to comply strictly with NAFDAC’s protocols identified in the agency’s Regulations and Guidelines.
Irukera said that the National Agency For Food And Drug Administration And Control had issued a warning to importers, distributors, retailers, and consumers to refrain from the importation, distribution, sale and use of four cough syrups.
He said the cough syrups were made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals and manufactured in India.
According to him, the products include Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup, and Magrip N Cold Syrup.
“In strengthening and further propagating the alert and warning by NAFDAC, the FCCPC hereby and now issues this advisory.
“In particular, advising any relevant stakeholder to comply strictly with NAFDAC protocols identified in NAFDAC’s release or Regulations and Guidelines.
“NAFDAC’s warning is consistent with a global medical product alert issued by the World Health Organisation on Oct. 5, which linked the death of sixty-six children in The Gambia to the said cough syrups.
“Reports indicate that the medications were exclusively delivered to The Gambia.
“The existence of informal and uncontrolled marketplaces, mutual regional trade liberalisation policies, including under Treaty obligations make it conceivable, and certainly not improbable that exposure in Nigeria could occur,’’ he said.
Irukera urged citizens who preferred contacting the Commission on the matter to forward same to contact@fccpc.gov.ng for onward transmission to NAFDAC.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that NAFDAC had on Oct. 11, raised an alarm over the use of four cough syrups linked to acute kidney injuries and death of children in The Gambia.
