2.4m bottles of cough syrup containing codeine recalled by federal government
- Now fewer than 2.4 million bottles of cough syrup containing codeine have been recalled by the federal government
- Codeine abuse is on the rise in Nigeria, reason why the government banned the production and importation of codeine as active pharmaceutical ingredient for cough syrup preparations
- Those who abuse codeine mix it with carbonated drinks or alcohol, predisposing themselves to health issues
The federal ministry of health has recalled 2.4 million bottles of cough syrup containing codeine after a recent audit of the substance carried out by National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
NAN reports that according to a statement by Boade Akinola, director media and public relations of the ministry on Sunday, July 29 in Abuja, the recall demonstrated the federal government’s resolve to stem the abuse of codeine and other substances in Nigeria.
Legit.ng gathers that Akinola said the minister had recently received the final report of the 22-man stakeholders committee set up by the ministry to address the worrisome menace of codeine abuse in Nigeria.
She quoted the minister of health Prof Isaac Adewole as saying that the audit trail and subsequent recall of the substance was part of recommendations of stakeholders committee set up by the ministry to address codeine abuse in Nigeria.
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The minister said the committee members were drafted from a broad spectrum of the health sector in collaboration with relevant agencies as part of Pharmacovigilance and renewed effort to monitor drug distribution channels and sanitise the system.
Adewole recalled that the committee was an offshoot of the press release issued by the ministry on the temporary ban of codeine production and distribution.
He said the committee has director general of NAFDAC, Professor Christianah Adeyeye as the chairman. Other members include Muhammad Abdullahi, chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA); Elijah Mohamed, the registrar of Pharmacists Council of Nigeria; Moshood Lawal, director, Food and Drugs Services, federal ministry of health; Ahmed Yakasai, president, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) among others.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) was directed by the federal ministry of health to ban with immediate effect further issuance of permits for the importation of codeine as active pharmaceutical ingredient for cough syrup preparations.
This was contained in a statement on Tuesday, May 1 by the minister of health, Professor Isaac Adewole.
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Source: Legit.ng
