The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has denied a report by a media house that it indicted the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) over the distribution of counterfeit medicines to Nigerians.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Director-General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, in Abuja on Sunday.
According to her, the interview she granted to the media house on March 1, where the said content was seen as an indictment on PCN was a clear misrepresentation of fact.
Adeyeye said that she never spoke anything against PCN on the alleged distribution of counterfeit drug, adding that it was a clear mis representation of fact by the said Media house.
She said that no where in the interview that she implicated PCN for any wrongdoing, but gave a detailed legal, regulatory, and historical perspective on the roles of the two organisations.
Adeyeye said that she did spoke on ensuring safety of pharmaceuticals and the challenges that arose due to past regulatory inconsistencies.
The NAFDAC boss said that the agency had reviewed with dismay, the recent misleading report aired by the Media house.
She said that the report aired by the Media house with the headline: “NAFDAC implicates pharmacy Council of Nigeria on counterfeit medicine distribution was misquoted out of context.
“The headline is a gross misrepresentation of the facts conveyed during the press interview granted by the Director-General of NAFDAC on March 1.
“Nowhere in the interview did the D-G implicate the PCN in any wrongdoing.
“The D-G only gave a detailed legal, regulatory, and historical perspective on the roles of the two organisations in ensuring the safety of pharmaceuticals and the challenges that arose due to past regulatory inconsistencies.
“It is imperative to note that the D-G’s remarks highlighted the complementary roles of NAFDAC and PCN in safeguarding public health.
“The D-G specifically addressed the issue of Patent and Proprietary Medicines Vendors (PPMVs), whose regulation, over time, became a challenge due to fragmented oversight and subsequent litigations.
“At no point was PCN accused of complicity in the circulation of fake medicines,” Adeyeye said.
She said that the agency aligns fully with the position of the PCN, as articulated in their official response and vehemently condemns the misrepresentation during the news conference granted to the media house.
Adeyeye said that the erroneous headline published by the media house was a distortion and falsification of the facts.
She said that it was misleading and could undermine the collaborative efforts of NAFDAC and PCN in ensuring pharmaceutical safety and regulatory compliance.
“We wish to remind the media house of its responsibility under the Nigeria Broadcasting Code (6th Edition, 2016), particularly Section 5.0, Subsection 5.1.2
Adeyeye said that its failure to adhere to content of broadcasting principles constitutes a breach of journalistic ethics and regulatory compliance.
Adeyeye, however demanded an immediate public retraction of the misleading report from the media house, a public apology broadcast at the same level of prominence as the original report.
She demanded a commitment from the station for ensuring accurate and factual reporting in future coverage of NAFDAC’s activities.
She urged it to take the necessary corrective action without delay to prevent further dissemination of misinformation.
Adeyeye said failure to do so will compel the agency to escalate the matter through appropriate regulatory and legal channels.
