Nigeria Market Flooded With Fake, Unregistered Asthma Inhalers Following GSK’s Departure

Nigeria Market Flooded With Fake, Unregistered Asthma Inhalers Following GSK’s Departure

One year after British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) withdrew from Nigeria, the market has been inundated with fake and unregistered asthma inhalers. The withdrawal left many asthma patients struggling with medication shortages, leading to an alarming increase in counterfeit products……. CONTINUE READING

Rose Daniel, a 28-year-old marketer, faced severe side effects from anti-asthmatic tablets before switching to the Seretide Diskus inhaler, which had no side effects. However, after GSK’s departure, the inhalers became scarce, prompting her to purchase several packs in advance from reputable pharmacies.

Daniel’s concerns were confirmed when she noticed a colleague’s Seretide inhaler lacked a National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) registration number, indicating it was unregistered.

In response to reports of fake inhalers flooding the market, PUNCH Healthwise investigated pharmacies in Church Street, Idumota, Lagos State. The investigation revealed that counterfeit Seretide inhalers were being sold, often in packaging with foreign languages, such as Urdu, which are not consistent with the genuine product.

Nosa, a local distributor, initially claimed the unregistered inhalers were merely from different production batches. However, discrepancies in packaging and the absence of a NAFDAC number pointed to counterfeit products.

NAFDAC defines counterfeit drugs as those not registered by the agency, and selling such products is illegal. The regulations mandate that all drugs must display their registration numbers, and violations can result in fines or imprisonment.

Olumide Akintayo, former president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, emphasized that fake drugs pose serious health risks and urged regulatory agencies to take action.

Since GSK’s exit, asthma patients have faced not only a scarcity of genuine inhalers but also skyrocketing prices. Some have resorted to using lesser quantities or alternative, less effective brands.

Asthma, a major chronic disease affecting both children and adults, requires consistent medication to manage symptoms. With over 15 million Nigerians affected, according to the Nigerian Thoracic Society, the influx of fake inhalers threatens to worsen the situation, potentially increasing health risks among patients.

Professor Musa Babashani, president of the Nigerian Thoracic Society, warned that the rise in counterfeit inhalers and the higher cost of genuine ones are reducing access to effective treatments, leading to uncontrolled asthma cases and higher morbidity and mortality rates.

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