By Oluwatosin Maliki
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has called on the public, especially those in the healthcare sector, to the presence of a batch of counterfeit Meronem 1g Injection currently circulating in the country.
This crucial information was conveyed by Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC, in an official statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja. The alert, identified as Public Alert No. 036/2023, serves as a warning to the public about the potential risks associated with this fraudulent product.
Prof. Adeyeye emphasized that NAFDAC received the alert from Pfizer, the Marketing Authorization Holder, who reported the incident through a patient notification platform. The notification raised concerns regarding the improper dissolution of the vial content upon reconstitution for use, prompting a thorough visual inspection of the packaging.
Addressing the recent discovery, Prof. Adeyeye highlighted Pfizer’s findings, indicating a discrepancy between the crimp code observed during investigation and the code documented on the production batch (2A21F11), which serves as the semi-finished batch for 4A21I17.
Adeyeye said:
“The vial label compares favourably to the purported artwork version”.
“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 administration of the counterfeit product will pose a high risk to patients as the quality and safety are not guaranteed,” Adeyeye added.
Following this, the NAFDAC boss advised healthcare providers and patients to obtain all medical products from authorised or licensed suppliers, in order to avoid health issues.
She also emphasized that the products’ authenticity and physical condition should be properly checked before purchase and administration.
Hence, she pleaded with importers, wholesalers and retailers to maintain vigilance within the supply chain, while warning them to desist from illegal importation, distribution, and sale of the counterfeit Meronem 1g injection and other substandard medicinal products.
She said anybody in possession of the counterfeit product should stop using it, adding that it should be submitted to the nearest NAFDAC office.
While calling on the public, she said anyone in possession of the counterfeit product should seek immediate medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional, if they have already used the product, or have suffered from any adverse reaction after using the product.
She further urged healthcare professionals and patients to immediately report adverse events or side effects related to the use of a medicinal product to the nearest NAFDAC office, or through the use of the E-reporting platforms available on the NAFDAC website www.nafdac.gov.ng.
The public was also urged to report any adverse effect of the product via the Med- safety application available for download on android and IOS stores or via e-mail on pharmacovigilance@nafdac.gov.ng.