INDEPENDENT
The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has called on consumers and healthcare professionals who have fallen victim to the counterfeit Meronem 1g injection currently being sold in different parts of the country to immediately seek medical advice and report to the nearest NAFDAC office.
While alerting consumers and healthcare providers on a batch of counterfeit Meronem 1g Injection in circulation, NAFDAC urged victims to report adverse effects related to the use of the medicine to NAFDAC office or through the use of the E-reporting platforms available on its website: www.nafdac.gov.ng.
In a statement signed by the Director-General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, in Abuja, she said the agency was notified about the injection by the Marketing Authorisation Holder, Pfizer, who reported the incident, as received through a patient notification platform.
The NAFDAC boss, noted that Pfizer reported that the vial content did not dissolve when reconstituted for use and that further visual inspection of the pack was observed.
The statement also reported that the crimp code did not match the code reported on the production documentation batch of 2A21F11, which is the semi-finished batch used for 4A21I17.
“The vial label compares favourably to the purported artwork version,” Adeyeye said, adding that the production process did not meet Pfizer’s specifications.
“Meronem (Meropenem trihydrate injection) is an antibiotic used to treat skin and abdominal (stomach area) infections caused by bacteria and meningitis (infection of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord) in adults and children 3 months of age and older,” the NAFDAC boss said.
“The administration of the counterfeit product will pose a high risk to patients as the quality and safety are not guaranteed,” she added.
Prof. Adeyeye, however, said that healthcare providers and patients have been advised to obtain all medical products from authorised/ licensed suppliers, adding that the products’ authenticity and physical condition should be carefully checked before purchase and administration.
