Weak regulation, financial strain drive Nigeria’s illegal drug stores

Illegal drug stores are spreading unchecked across Nigeria, exposing millions to substandard and fake medicines, as the government’s regulatory control weakens.

Pharmaceutical and health experts who spoke to BusinessDay said in addition to weak regulation, low purchasing power of Nigerians and rising cost of pharmaceuticals are also fuelling the boom of these unregistered patent medicine stores, which are major conduits for cheaper counterfeit medicines.

The latest data from Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) show that the number of illicit drug stores have surged to five million, up from two million illegal patent store, a 150 percent rise in 2023 over a decade.

The data further indicate that over 50 percent of drugs in circulation in Nigeria are substandard or counterfeit, attributing the situation to the activities of illegal stores that do not adherence to safety and quality standards.

The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) and NAFDAC are struggling to rein in the illegal trade.

Speaking with BusinessDay, Kenneth Ujah, immediate past national secretary of ACPN, said a major regulatory gap stems from the policy of the government that gave licensing authority to state ministries of health and local governments.

According to him, proper regulation requires professionals who are trained and proficient in pharmaceutical practice, stressing that “medicines are not products of trade. It is not an art of trade.”

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He said the government must empower the PCN to engage more staff as they are better positioned to enforce pharmaceutical regulations, licensing and standards.

Ujah also pointed out that economic hardship is driving many Nigerians into seeking cheaper medicines, further fuelling demand for counterfeit products.

“The pharmaceutical sector is not shielded from this issue. Nigerians, due to costs, opt for cheaper drugs, largely substandard. This fuels demand, especially among rural indigent populations,” he said.

The PCN is the statutory body responsible for issuing and renewing Patent and Proprietary Medicines Vendor Licences (PPMVLs), which permits the sale of a limited range of over-the-counter (OTC) medications. The council also inspects outlets to ensure compliance with guidelines on medicine types, storage, and other professional standards.

However, BusinessDay observed that patent medicine stores disregard these standards. Despite being authorised to sell only OTC products, they openly stock and dispense prescription drugs, including antibiotics such as Ampiclox, Augmentin, Septrin, Metronidazole, and Erythromycin, without prescriptions.

What fuels fake medicines

Ezeh Igwekamma, national chairman of ACPN, attributed the resurgence of counterfeit drugs to the dormancy of the federal and the state task forces charged with monitoring the drug distribution chain. He also blamed the inadequate enforcement of existing laws for the situation.

“The federal task force and the equivalent state task forces have almost become moribund with negligible regulatory output.”

Read also: Customs explains how it trapped N20bn illicit drugs in Onne Port

NAFDAC needs money, staff

Sayo Akintola, NAFDAC resident consultant, acknowledged that counterfeit and fake products continue to find their way into the market due to weak regulatory capacity.

He noted that the agency has recorded successes in trying to prevent the circulation of fake products but is constrained by some challenges, notably the lack of manpower, and poor funding.

He noted that 95 percent of the funding deployed by NAFDAC is internally generated.

Due to these regulatory gaps, Nigeria reached an unenviable top spot of countries grappling with counterfeit products.

Data from the 2023 Gobal Organised Crime Index show that Nigeria has a high rate of trade in counterfeit goods, with a score of 8.00, placing it among the top countries globally for counterfeit trade. Nigeria ranked 6th out of 193 countries, second out of 54 countries in Africa and 1st of 15 countries in West Africa.

Expert warns Nigerians

Sam Adu, a medical expert, warned of severe health risks, including kidney and liver damage from counterfeit drugs.

He emphasised the need for ‘pharmacovigilance’ and urged patients to report adverse drug reactions promptly. “Collaboration between patients, doctors, and regulatory authorities is crucial to combat this menace,” he added.