Growlyn drops can kill – NAFDAC

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced the international safety recall of a batch of Growlyn Drops 50ml after lab tests showed the drug contains ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol levels that exceed the required amount.

NAFDAC echoed the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP)’s safety recall in the first week of November.

Diethylene glycol is a chemical substance used in manufacturing as a solvent. It becomes a poisonous contaminant when it exceeds defined toxic doses.

Growlyn Drops 50ml for babies is manufactured by Aeon Formulations Pvt. Limited in India with batch number ADGR 2201. The affected products were manufactured as far back as March 2022.

“Laboratory analysis conducted on the product by MOHAP Quality Control Laboratory showed that Ethylene Glycol (EG) and Diethylene Glycol (DEG) exceeded the required amount,” NAFDAC’s statement read in part.

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“Growlyn Drops is a dietary supplement that helps to boost immunity and promote healthy growth and development in babies.

“Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are toxic to humans when consumed and can prove fatal. Toxic effects can include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state, and acute kidney injury which may lead to death.

“Although the product is not in the NAFDAC database, importers, distributors, retailers, and consumers are advised to exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain to avoid the importation, distribution, sale, and use of substandard (contaminated) syrups. All medical products must be obtained from authorized/licensed suppliers. The products’ authenticity and physical condition should be carefully checked.

“Anyone in possession of the above-mentioned product is advised to immediately discontinue the sale or use and submit stock to the nearest NAFDAC office. If you have used this product on your baby, or someone you know has used it or suffered any adverse reaction/event after use, you are advised to seek immediate medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional.”

Growlyn drops can kill – NAFDAC

Kano research centre moves to end medical tourism among Nigerians, begins clinical services

Kano State Independent Research Center Trust (KIRCT), Thursday, commenced its clinical services to the public, pledging to discourage medical tourism among Nigerians by offering healthcare services of international level.

The Research Trust Center, established by Pfizer for Kano State government a decade ago, was set up to conduct biomedical and healthcare researches on communicable and non- communicable diseases.

Speaking at the occasion, the Chief Medical Director of the Trust,Jamil Ismail Ahmad observed that Nigeria was losing about 2 billion US dollars yearly to medical tourism, assuring, however, that their facility would bridge the gap by providing clinical services that would render such trips unattractive to Nigerians seeking healthcare.

“Some studies have shown that Nigeria spends about 1.5 to 2 US billion dollars every year on medical tourism- seeking healthcare especially for heart diseases, for kidney diseases, for cancer and also for spine diseases among others, ” said Ahmad.

He admitted that the quest for medical care abroad was being encouraged by the daring challenges in Nigeria’s healthcare system and hospital setting, among which include the issue of lack of equipment and the flight of doctors and specialists to other countries.

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“Because of that, we felt that this is an opportunity. Instead of our people leaving here to another country- pay for visa, pay for flight ticket, pay for accommodation and pay for treatment, you can come comfortably here, in the vicinity of your immediate family and culture and receive the same care that you need to get well, without stepping outside this country” he stated.

According to him, in the first year, their facility would provide all the general healthcare services at the highest quality level, adding that by the second year, they will commence intervention for heart and kidney diseases among others.

He was optimistic that by the second year, they should be able compete well with all other countries and international hospitals that are providing healthcare services at the highest level.

In his remarks, the Emir of Gaya, represented by District Head of Dawaki Kudu, Jafaru Usman Mohammed appreciated the Trust for its numerous contributions to healthcare delivery in the state, urging them to sustain the tempo.

Kano research centre moves to end medical tourism among Nigerians, begins clinical services

NAFDAC destroys fake, expired drugs, food worth N500 million

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Wednesday destroyed fake and expired goods worth over N500 million in Abuja.

Speaking during the exercise, the Director-General (DG) of the agency, Mojisola Adeyeye, stated that some of the goods were also voluntarily submitted to the agency.

Represented by Francis Ononiwu, NAFDAC director of Investigation and Enforcement, the DG stated that the exercise is carried out routinely all over the country.

The NAFDAC boss said that the destruction of the products was done to prevent their re-introduction to the supply chain.

Mrs Adeyeye listed some of the products destroyed as drugs made up of psychoactive and controlled substances like antibiotics, antihypertensive, antimalarials, herbal snuff and herbal remedies, and drugs confiscated from drug hawkers.

She also listed the food products such as Spaghetti, vegetable oil, and non-alcoholic beverages, including a 1 by 40ft container of unregistered Faurecia instant-powered milk that was handed over to the agency by the Nigeria Customs Services (NCS).

Others were cosmetics such as creams, lotion, and pomade, including skin-lightening creams seized from SPAS and beauty centres, chemicals such as fake insecticides and medical devices.
Also destroyed were expired and unwholesome products voluntarily handed over for destruction by compliant companies, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the Association of Community Pharmacy of Nigeria (ACPN).

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According to the NAFDAC boss, the estimated street value of the products being destroyed is N535 million.
“I have said it on several platforms that drug counterfeiting is an act of economic sabotage, and it also represents a serious threat to public health, and NAFDAC under my watch has been repositioned to fight this menace.

”The agency has adapted proactive approach by engaging political, traditional, faith leaders, journalists and other Nigerians to sensitise their wards on the dangers of dealing with substandard and falsified medicine.

“I wish to use this medium to urge all and sundry to be on the lookout for spurious and counterfeit medicines, unwholesome foods and other regulated products and report same to NAFDAC,” she said.

NAFDAC and security officials during the destruction Isiaku Gamajira, FCT Coordinator, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), stated that NAFDAC is a sister agency when it comes to the regulation of products, hence the reason why SON was at the event.

He noted that many people lack education on how to get certification for their products, stressing that it is the reason why most goods from Nigeria are rejected abroad.

“We are aware of government policy on zero rejection of Nigeria products, we have a policy called product certification in which a certificate is issued on products made in Nigeria that are to be exported.

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“In doing all these, we ensure that we key into the principle set up in line with the government of the exporting country, and issue a certificate of performance to avoid Nigeria’s product rejection when they get to the point of entry.
“We have offices all over the country where information about product certification can be gotten, our addresses are also available online for you to reach out to us.

“We provide people with proper guidance when they approach us, SON has been carrying out its compliance activities among which is the seizure of substandard products. We have just destroyed tyres.

“Tyre is a product which lives depend on and SON has a serious interest when it comes to compliance action, seizure in that regard, on September 29, SON destroyed a lot of tyres and these are some of the things we do.

“Most of these tyres are imported, it is our own commonwealth, If you see the quantum of what we have destroyed in the last few months, you will be surprised,” Gamajira said.

Enejoh Amade, chairman of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), FCT Chapter, said his association would continue to support NAFDAC to rid the country of substandard drugs.

He said that his association had partnered with NAFDAC on the exercise by bringing some expired drugs collected from members of ACPN.

NAFDAC destroys fake, expired drugs, food worth N500 million