Cancer survivors in Nigeria are urgently calling on the Federal Government to intensify its efforts in combating the alarming rise of fake drugs, which pose a significant threat to their lives.
The Network of People Impacted by Cancer in Nigeria (NePiCiN) has voiced concerns about the exorbitant cost of cancer medications and the devastating impact of counterfeiting on access to quality care.
NePiCiN President, Mrs. Gloria Orji, emphasized that counterfeit drugs not only worsen patients’ conditions but also drain their financial resources, leaving many in a vulnerable position. Orji stressed that the government must take decisive action to alleviate the burden on cancer patients, including addressing the high cost of drugs and combating counterfeit medications.
This issue is particularly pressing in Nigeria, where cancer patients already face significant challenges in accessing quality treatment and care.
The proliferation of fake drugs exacerbates these challenges, making it even more difficult for patients to receive the care they need. Effective measures are necessary to mitigate the impact of fake drugs and ensure cancer patients receive the support they deserve .
“Because we’re not just battling the cost of drugs, we are talking about life here. You don’t have a second chance. So, please, it’s quite appalling how things have been going. And I think this needs to be on the front burner now. It should be talked about. Unfortunately, no one is talking about this and I believe we, as the patients, should be the ones to talk about it.
“Personally, I do not see any advantage of these fake drugs because they do a lot of harm and no good. Sometimes, the doctors are even confused because they are wondering why the drug is not working. When you get a drug and find out it’s not working, a higher one is recommended and you spend more than you would ordinarily, ” she stated.
Speaking further, the NePiCiN president stressed, “Generally it is devastating because you would have spent more than your expectation and you would be confused because your life is at stake and you don’t even know what you are taking in.”
Orji also recounted her own story of inadvertently using fake hormonal medications after being diagnosed in 2013, leading to complications.
She pointed out that not everyone is fortunate enough to survive such a situation.
Orji stressed the importance of government agencies like the National Health Insurance Authority sourcing drugs directly from manufacturers to prevent counterfeiting. She suggested that the government could authorize the NHIA to supervise this process.
The president of NePiCiN asserted that by cracking down on counterfeit drugs, the government can protect the lives of cancer patients and enhance their access to reliable treatment and care.
She added, “We are talking about life here. Any mistake is costly. If the government puts its feet down we can get it right.
“There are so many agencies like NAFDAC, FCCPC, NHIA which I believe could be used to get those drugs from the source. When we go to the hospital, all medications are expected to be sourced within the hospital as patients are not allowed to source for the drugs themselves.
“NHIA should ensure that the medications are sourced directly from the manufacturers; by doing this, patients have been saved from the risk of fake drugs. These are the policies that the government should think of adopting.”
“You need to be aware that non-pharmacists are beginning to act as agents to sell these drugs and this is because national hospitals allow these drugs to come in from wherever.
“The government should be decisive on this. If we notice, most cancer cases result in death but if we do proper research, we will discover that the cause of the death in some cases, is not the cancer itself,” she argued.
The NePiCiN president blamed the lack of reliable data as a major challenge in cancer management in Nigeria.
She lamented that the country mostly relied on the World Health Organisation for data.
“We are left with what WHO gives to us. As of 2020, out of a million deaths, 20 per cent of deaths are caused by counterfeit drugs. The thing keeps increasing and is not checked anywhere.
“As we speak, one out of every six medications in Nigeria is fake. That is how bad it is. Also, because of the complexities and people involved in counterfeiting, the majority is coming from India,” she stated.
Dozie Akwarandu, a member of NePiCiN, expressed concern that counterfeit medications are a major factor in the rising incidence of drug resistance, negatively affecting the treatment of cancer patients.
He recounted his experiences with fraudulent pain relief medications and highlighted the necessity for regulatory bodies to enhance their efforts in eliminating counterfeit drugs from Nigeria.
“From my personal experience, mine wasn’t a cancer or chemotherapy drug; rather it was a pain relief drug. During the treatment stage, I was using a branded drug and after about 10 days of using it, I lost consciousness. After recovery, I discovered that the pain relief drug prescribed to me was fake,” he revealed.
Describing drug counterfeiting as a global issue, Akwarandu noted that the World Health Organization estimated in 2017 that fake medications comprised 10.5% of drugs worldwide, with middle-income countries contributing a larger share to the production of counterfeit medicines.
He urged NAFDAC and other regulatory agencies to intensify their efforts to eliminate the production, importation, distribution, and sale of counterfeit drugs in Nigeria.
Akwarandu also called for strict enforcement of existing laws and the use of technology to combat this problem.
He urged the Pharmacists Registration Council of Nigeria and pharmacy owners to protect the health of Nigerians by ensuring safe drug storage and proper disposal of used drug packaging, thereby preventing counterfeiters from gaining access to them.
