A pharmacist, Lolu Ojo, has raised the alarm over the circulation of fake and substandard medicines in Nigeria, labelling it a “silent epidemic” threatening public health, despite years of regulations.

Speaking on Thursday’s edition of Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Ojo, who is the Managing Director of Merit Healthcare Limited, noted that while the fight against fake drugs predates the 1990s, the problem has persisted in alarming proportions.

“In Nigeria, surveys by NAFDAC put the number between 12 and 15 percent. Even if it is one out of twenty, it is still a bad thing because for the person consuming it, it means double jeopardy. You lose your money, and your health deteriorates further,” he said.

Ojo stressed that the consequences of consuming fake drugs are grave, ranging from treatment failure to disability and even death, particularly in children battling malaria and other life-threatening conditions.

The pharmacist described the act of producing falsified drugs as “chemical terrorism,” carried out by individuals willing to profit from the misfortune of others.

He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant, insisting that medicines should only be purchased from registered pharmacies with licensed pharmacists in charge.

“The Nigerian way of saying it is ‘shine your eyes.’ Ask questions, insist on seeing the pharmacist, because that is our job to resolve any doubt in favour of the patient,” he said.

On the pharmaceutical supply chain, Ojo revealed that despite ongoing local manufacturing efforts, Nigeria still depends on imports for about 60 percent of its medicines, with most raw materials sourced abroad.

He noted that while NAFDAC conducts good manufacturing practice inspections and product testing before granting approvals, porous borders remain a major challenge, enabling criminal syndicates to flood the market with fake products.

“The government agency will not sanction fake drugs, but because our borders are porous, people bring in falsified medicines just as they bring in guns and other illicit items,” he added. (Channels TV)