Federal Ministry of health has withdrawn about 2.4 million bottles of cough syrup containing codeine, following its fight against drug abuse.
The recall was a sequel to a recent audit of the substance carried out by National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
In a statement by Boade Akinola, Director Media and Public Relations of the Ministry on Sunday, July 29 in Abuja, the recall demonstrated the federal government’s resolve to control the abuse of codeine and other substances in Nigeria.
Adding that the audit trail and subsequent recall of the substance was part of recommendations of stakeholders committee set up by the ministry to address codeine abuse in Nigeria.
She noted that the Minister had recently received the final report of the 22-man stakeholders’ committee set up by the ministry to address the worrisome menace of codeine abuse in Nigeria.
She quoted the Minister as saying that the committee members were drafted from a broad spectrum of the health sector in collaboration with relevant agencies as part of Pharmacovigilance and renewed effort to monitor drug distribution channels and sanitize the system.
Stating that the committee was set up following the press release issued by the ministry on the temporary ban of codeine production and distribution.
He noted that the committee has Director General of NAFDAC, Professor Christianah Adeyeye as the chairman. Other members include Muhammad Abdullahi, chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA); Elijah Mohamed, the registrar of Pharmacists Council of Nigeria; Moshood Lawal, director, Food and Drugs Services, federal ministry of health; Ahmed Yakasai, president, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) among others.