Nigerian federal health ministry has warned of the existence of two counterfeit versions of Quinine Sulphate, a drug used in the treatment of malaria.
The drugs – Quinine Sulphate 300 mg with 1000 tablets per container and Quinine Sulphate 300 mg with 100 tablets – have no active pharmaceutical ingredients and consuming them would not improve health challenges, but could also worsen health conditions, the ministry said.
In a statement, Boade Akinola, a spokesperson of the health ministry said on Saturday, August 20, 2016 that the fake drugs were first spotted in Cameroon and are in circulation there and in neighbouring Central African country, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Akinola said that the health ministry has improved its vigilance and has improved its vigilance within the drug supply chains within the country.
The ministry provided the following details about the fake drugs:
Quinine Sulphate 300 mg with 1000 Tablets per container, Batch number 10H05, expiry date 09/2018 and manufactured 09/2014 by Novadina Pharmaceutical Limited, London, United Kingdom.
Quinine Sulphate 300 mg with 100 Tablets per container; batch number F4387, expiry date 11/18 while its date of manufacture is 12/14.
Akinola advised Nigerians to be watchful and to report anywhere the drugs are found, including hospitals , and pharmaceuticals shops to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC.
