15 August 2009
Lagos — Any fake and counterfeit drug offender apprehended for dealing on fake and spurious pharmaceutical products faces a life sentences in India, if current moves by the country's Drug Regulatory Agency succeeds at the parliament.
At the prompting of a high power delegation of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to India led by its Director-General, Dr. Paul Orhii, the Indian Drug Regulatory Authority is currently pushing through the parliament a draft legislation that would impose a life jail term on anybody who manufactures and export fake drugs to Nigeria.
Similarly, any Nigerian Drug Importer who connives with an India Drug Company to produce fake drugs will also be jailed for life upon conviction by the court.
Orhii said the Agency has also taken other tough regulatory measures in collaboration with its Indian counterpart to deal decisively with fake drug offenders.
He said during his recent visit to India, consultative meetings were held with India Drug manufacturers Association, Indian Pharmaceutical Council, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry as well as Indian Pharmaceutical Alliances.
According to him, NAFDAC's onslaught and campaign against counterfeit drugs were also carried to the door step of India's ministries of External Affairs, Health, Chemical and Fertilisers where series of meetings were held to evolve better strategies to combat the fake drugs menace.
The Director-General said the visit of the NAFDAC delegation to India was in fulfillment of his earlier declaration of zero tolerance for fake drugs and resolve completely eliminate the hydra headed problem.
"The Indian Government are as worried as Nigerian Government about the problem of fake drugs. The India Pharmaceutical Industry is highly advanced and produces good quality drugs but only a few bad eggs are trying to paint the country bad," he said. The Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria has visited and discussed with us severally on this problem and shows readiness to team up with us to check the incidence. Our new strategy is to encourage the production of good quality and affordable generic drugs that would chase fake drugs out of Nigerian markets. We are breaking new grounds and also determined to sustain the momentum," he said.
The joint Secretary of the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Dr. Devendra Chaudhry, who led the Indian Government delegation at the meeting with NAFDAC officials said the proposed life jail term would serve as deterrence for fake Drug Dealers who hitherto had a free reign for decades.
Chaudhry commended the new management of NAFADC for sustaining the battle against fake drugs and also for making concerted efforts to intensify the fight.
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