The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has warned Nigerians against the use of Deekins Amoxycillin 500mg capsules.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, gave the warning during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.
According to her, the warning followed reports of serious adverse reactions experienced by patients who had taken the drug.
She said the agency was already investigating the drug.
The drug was manufactured by Ecomed Pharma Limited and marketed by Devine Kings Pharmaceutical Limited, with lot number 4C639001.
Adeyeye explained that the agency had received reports of three serious adverse reactions linked to the stated batch of Deekins Amoxycillin 500mg capsules from a hospital.
Her words: “In a statement from Mr Kingsley Ekeanyanwu, the Marketing Authorisation Holder (MAH) for Divine King Pharmaceutical Ltd, it was revealed that only 20 packets of the affected batch were produced by Ecomed Pharma Ltd for registration renewal purposes.
“However, 790 packs of batch 4C639001, which were recalled, were not manufactured by the company.
“The suspected substandard products have been sent for laboratory analysis, and the investigation is ongoing.
“The Quality Control and Production Managers have been invited for further questioning.”
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She stated that her agency had notified the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, which issued the site licence for the company, as well as the pharmacist in charge.
She further warned that distributors, healthcare providers, and patients should be cautious and vigilant.
According to her, all medical products should only be obtained from authorised/licensed suppliers, adding that their authenticity and physical condition should be carefully checked before purchase.
“Anyone with the affected product is urged to submit it to the nearest NAFDAC office immediately.
“If you or someone you know has used this product and experienced any adverse reactions, seek medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional.
“NAFDAC has placed an alert about the recall of this product on December 3, 2024, and consumers are encouraged to report any suspicions of substandard or falsified medicines to NAFDAC via the provided contact information.
“The agency also urges healthcare professionals and patients to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of the product through NAFDAC’s E-reporting platforms or the Med-safety app available for download on Android and iOS.”
