Kano: The Kanawa Pharmaceutical Coordinated Wholesale Centre (KPP-CWC) has seized over N1.3 billion worth of substandard drugs and unwholesome foods in Kano state.
The Superintendent Pharmacist, Furera Ado, told journalists in Kano on Thursday that special attention was being focused on products with high demand, including antimalaria, antibiotics and analgesics.
The analysis of the results so far indicates that 40.3% of the total pharmaceutical products sampled failed the Active Ingredient content test and were found to be substandard.
“Part of the drugs were handed over to the state committee on drug abuse for destruction,” she said.
According to the superintendent pharmacist, these products would have been made available to the public, resulting in treatment failures and loss of lives.
She added that as regulatory requisites, the entire centre was registered by a superintendent pharmacist, who supervises all professional activities.
“KPP-CWC recorded a massive success in terms of identifying and confiscating fake, falsified, adulterated, counterfeit, and expired drugs, and most importantly, nipping the spread of illicit drugs in the bud.
“KPP will commence the interview process shortly to absorb them for further fortification and vitalisation of activities in the centre.
“We have also recorded a huge success in terms of identifying and confiscating fake, falsified, adulterated, counterfeit, and expired drugs, and most importantly, nipping the spread of illicit drugs,” she said.
Ado disclosed that KPP had acquired a WHO-Certified Cold Room from the U.S, accompanied by a 24-hour solar power to store thermolabile pharmaceutical products that would be denatured by high temperature.
“The cold room maintains temperature at +2 to +8 degrees centigrade perpetually without temperature excursion and could be reset to go below zero for vaccines,” Ado said.
The centre is managed by Kanawa Pharmaceutical Partners Limited (KPP), a special purpose vehicle registered by the federal government to drive the centre as stipulated in the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria Act 2022, as amended.
