A nephrologist, Tunji Alausa, says the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has failed in its mandate to regulate the prevalence of fake drugs in the country.
Speaking yesterday when he appeared before the Senate for screening as a ministerial nominee from Lagos State, Alausa said the regulatory agency needs urgent reform, adding that the country’s healthcare system is “really sub-optimal”.
According to him, Nigeria needs to build a quality regulatory body to “take care” and tackle the fake drugs in pharmaceutical stores across the country. He said, in the Western world, every healthcare facility has a licence to do business, adding that such licences have different layers.
“In Nigeria, all the healthcare facilities are not regulated,” he stated. He added that all pharmacies in the country should be regulated and monitored and the licence of the practitioners revoked if found wanting.
The ministerial nominee also said the country needs to operate a private sector-driven healthcare economy, adding that it is what the nation needs to fix the health sector.
