Minna — National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned members of the public to desist from patronizing drug hawkers saying most of the drugs are fake and counterfeit.

In addition, the agency has clamped down on 22 drug hawkers, while unwholesome Prescription Only Medicines (POM) and Over The Counter (OTC) medicines worth N0.2million were confiscated in some local government areas of Niger State.

Disclosing this to newsmen in Minna, the state capital, the Niger State Unit Head of NAFDAC, Mrs Adama Talatu Mohammed said "NAFDAC officials in Niger State have within the last two weeks embarked on special surveillance activities to clamp down on drug hawking by raiding rural markets across the state.

She further said "majority of the drug hawkers fled and abandoned their drugs while those who cared to wait were admonished to desist from drug hawking and find alternative means of livelihood even as they were enlightened on some of the changes prone to human health.

She explained that, the hawked drugs, even the genuine ones amongst them may have deteriorated either physically or chemically and would have lost their potency ever before the stated expiry dates due to their exposure to harsh weather conditions such as light, heat and moisture.

The NAFDAC officer, pointed out in view of the danger associated with hawked drugs, it becomes imperative to alert and advice members of the public to always purchase their drugs and other pharmaceutical products from registered drug distribution establishments.

Mrs. Mohammed warned that the raid on hawkers in the local markets is a continuous exercise as part of the efforts of the agency to ensure that only wholesale drugs and other regulated products are distributed to innocent consumers in the state.

She then expressed gratitude for the collaborative support of the state government, security agencies and stakeholders urging them to continue to support the agency in achieving its goal of safe guarding the health of the public in the state.