lonelydora:
This is wrong. NAFDAC and FG have been overlooking this issue for a long time now. Is it because a foreign media talked about it?

What's the job description of a marketer? The young man was simply doing his job.

I will only agree with you on the former as against the latter.

What is the job description of a marketer - The sales man or marketer was into shady deals and if I am right "EMZOR would have a compliance unit where issues that runs foul to company policies are handled,the only place in my own opinion they were lax is not investigating the rise in the quantity of codeine the salesman was always reports on weekly or monthly basis and then take steps to confirm if they are being sold to the approved customer in the supply chain,if the contrary is the case the salesman will be issued a query to explain why he took such actions and possibly suspended for further investigation.this action would have opened a lots of can of worms and the company would have taking steps to correct this anomaly and save themselves this embarrassment.

As its is now the company "EMZOR" would be seen as actively involved in the sales of codeine to aid drug abuse

Nafdac is doing thier Job kudos to them. In the investigative piece you could hear clearly the guy stating he wanted to sell to students and the reps knowing quite well he isn't a licensed pharmacist went ahead to sell him the drugs. One even taught him how he can circumvent the system without being a licensed pharmacist. They cant claim ignorance of the sudden hike in demand of a very abused drug. In such cases [quote author=Rainmania post=67376114]Nafdac is doing thier Job kudos to them. In the investigative piece you could hear clearly the guy stating he wanted to sell to students and the reps knowing quite well he isn't a licensed pharmacist went ahead to sell him the drugs. One even taught him how he can circumvent the system without being a licensed pharmacist. The firm's only care about increased sales so yes they are liable for making an already abused drug readily available. Let's stop thinking with our ass and thank God now the government is doing something about it.

Slikbae:
Such stupidity. Pls shut up and remain so.

resorting to insults wen u dont points to support any argument shows lack of intelligent

rusher14:
Emzor and the likes cannot claim they didn't realise a disproportionate hike in demand of a product that is strictly a medicine one that could be abused.

When you start churning out medicines like you would beverages it means you are encouraging abuse.

A massive fine should be imposed on these pharmaceutical companies who participated in encouraging abuse of this product well against the ethics of the profession.

I see Nigerians above me once again supporting evil because that is their latest fad.

Nigeria would never be that country you desire it to be as long as your immediate reaction is cynicism and hate.

That is like cutting off d head to spite the face.
Anybody caught selling the drug without a genuine doctor's prescription should be arrested and prosecuted,simple.
If there were no demand, the increase in production will halt and eventually reduce.

OlujobaSamuel:

they should have raised alarm or report to the responsible agency just like banks do in case of fraud or money laundering

Wrong! they would've just assumed people are buying their own product more and buying competitor's less

rusher14:


Pharmacists Oath

"I have come to recognize and accept my role as a Pharmacist. I therefore solemnly and truthfully pledge MYSELF to devote my life to the service of mankind.

I do pledge to serve directly or indirectly in the team for Health Care delivery.

I will perform my services and duties with devotion, dignity, discretion, and honour.

My colleagues will surely be respected for their opinion and I will feel free in consultation with them.

However, I do consider the health of the patient or patrons above all and will abstain from whatever may be deleterious to the health.

I will also keep in confidence whatever information which directly or indirectly I may have through my professional service concerning the life and health of people.

I will sustain my respect for human life at all stages.

I will not use my knowledge of drugs, diseases, and medicine contrary to the laws of humanity.

I will provide such facilities and environment, which will enhance the desirable growth of my service.

I will indeed refrain from self-advertisement.

It is with solemnity and honour that I freely and publicly make these PLEDGES.
So help me GOD.



I have said it that only in Nigeria would you find people putting up such defence.
Don't you guys get tired of supporting evil?
Would your society evolve for the better with your view point?

That is the tragedy we face in Nigeria. We hate for no reason instead of attacking issues and most people are just ignorant.

dokiOloye:
That is like cutting off d head to spite the face.
Anybody caught selling the drug without a genuine doctor's prescription should be arrested and prosecuted,simple.
If there were no demand, the increase in production will halt and eventually reduce.

Both parties have a responsibility.

The drug manufacturers cannot hide behind ignorance when a drug that is hardly ever used up completely by a responsible household is now taken by the cartons.

gabrielniy:


Emzor was closed because they are not cooperating with ongoing investigation. You don't have to spew ignorance all over by attributing the closure to tribal reasoning. You can do better than this.

Which freaking investigation are you talking about?
What is yet to be discovered or unearthed?

1. There is a codeine abuse epidemic especially in the North.

2. People buy them off the shelf without any form of restriction or prescription.

3. We need to ensure that pharmacies are adequately regulated to ensure that only those that truly need it get it.

4. To do 3 above, laws need to be put on place to guide the manufacturers on distribution modalities to ensure it gets to the pharmacies only who will only dispense on receipt of a valid prescription.

Closing and employer of labour in a country like ours that is grossly suffering from unemployment and under manufacturing is just self destructive.

If human life is really important to the government, Why hasn't the ministry of agriculture banned cow herding and grazing in Nigeria due to the thousands of people that have died as a result of the long archaic method of meat production and the wahala it creates with farmers and replace it with ranching?

So it's the factories that can be closed so easily via fiat abi?

omodapson:


That is the tragedy we face in Nigeria. We hate for no reason instead of attacking issues and most people are just ignorant.

My brother, the country is on a long thing when the younger generation, the supposed more sophisticated generation, reason the way I see people do on this forum.

KevinDein:

Keep moaning all over the thread. Some of us can see through you. The only reason why you are taking this stance is because your brothers are the beneficiaries of the menace.

The government should do everything within its power to at least reduce the incidences of drug abuse. You and your brothers can keep bleating like goats no one cares.

Yes. Because only my "brothers " run pharmaceutical companies.

And only my brothers are employed there.

And only my brothers will suffer a crisis in the health sector.

voltred:



I actually differ with the BBC documentary and believe that documentary was staged.... Couldnt have been codeine that landed all those guys in rehab or make them behave like that. There is a higher strain drug. But then NAFDAC is focusing on the wrong shii. CODEINE or not guys go still dey on a diet level and guys go still high land for rehab..... Let the country focus on what matters.

I will subtly agree with you on you statement above, i think there are other inputs added to the cough syrup that will aggravate the state of mind of the user to run mad after usage,the investigation looking at it objectively is nit complete ,the BBC or any local media would have taken a step further by letting us know other drugs used with the codeine that make these guys run mad after usage

frankmoney:
There are other cough medications that codeine substance is not included , why didn't the pharmateutical company produce more of that and less of the syrup ? They are just a typical capitalist company who want to real profit even at the detriment of thier customers

Rusher14, this is another angle to what you are saying. They can't claim ignorance of the fact that the drug was abused.

homesteady:


Rusher14, this is another angle to what you are saying. They can't claim ignorance of the fact that the drug was abused.

Thanks man.

I know codeine based drugs are prescription only.

In advanced societies you would be offered without codeine unless you have a doctor's prescription which the pharmacist can overrule, if it goes against his/her professional judgement.


But trust Nigerians, they would sell death to their own siblings.

Isn't it this same Nigeria people behead and mutilate others for ritual money?

Northern Nigerian states are beginning to infuriate me.
Must they always contribute problems to the centre of her country.
Majority of our problems are traceable to North.
Lazy people are from the North.
Boko Harem from the North.
Miss world crisis in the North.
Drug abuse again is North.
Don tire for the North oh.

In that case, due to the alcoholism issue we have in Nigeria leading to motor accidents, domestic violence, liver disease etc, we should also close down Nigerian Breweries? Surely they have witnessed a surge in demand for alcohol so using your strange logic, they should also be held liable for societies ills rather than the government admitting it has not met the expectations of today's youth population who are now druggies and addicts. This problem is bigger than Emzor and the government don't understand the tsunami brewing in the nation.

rusher14:
Emzor and the likes cannot claim they didn't realise a disproportionate hike in demand of a product that is strictly a medicine one that could be abused.

When you start churning out medicines like you would beverages it means you are encouraging abuse.

A massive fine should be imposed on these pharmaceutical companies who participated in encouraging abuse of this product well against the ethics of the profession.

I see Nigerians above me once again supporting evil because that is their latest fad.

Nigeria would never be that country you desire it to be as long as your immediate reaction is cynicism and hate.

Flaghouse1:


I will only agree with you on the former as against the latter.

What is the job description of a marketer - The sales man or marketer was into shady deals and if I am right "EMZOR would have a compliance unit where issues that runs foul to company policies are handled,the only place in my own opinion they were lax is not investigating the rise in the quantity of codeine the salesman was always reports on weekly or monthly basis and then take steps to confirm if they are being sold to the approved customer in the supply chain,if the contrary is the case the salesman will be issued a query to explain why he took such actions and possibly suspended for further investigation.this action would have opened a lots of can of worms and the company would have taking steps to correct this anomaly and save themselves this embarrassment.


As its is now the company "EMZOR" would be seen as actively involved in the sales of codeine to aid drug abuse

I believe the bolded is just the issue

rusher14:


There is nothing to understand.

We do not have a cough epidemic.

Should these manufacturers have witnessed a disproportionate increase in demand they should have cried out even if it was strictly for cough.

Anywhere else in the developed world and they might have their licences revoked.

Enough with your 3rd world reasoning.

In the so called 1st world,the only reason for adherence to law and order is STRICT LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PROSECUTION by the agencies responsible for that,not that d ppl in those places have better moral values than us.
That is why America etc is ready to take d war against cocaine abuse to Colombia or d war against terrorism to Afghanistan.
NAFDAC,Police etc should start d war from the abusers themselves,back to the patent medicine shops,pharmacy shops and ppl who sell in d black market.
Codeine has never been an illegal drug,in fact,it was classified as a prescription drug recently when d abuse started.

Trending01:
Nigeria’s drugs and narcotics control agency, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Monday sealed off three major pharmaceutical companies – Emzor Pharmaceuticals Ind. Ltd., Peace Standard Pharmaceutical Limited and Bioraj Pharmaceutical Limited following their ties to the codeine abuse and epidemic presently ravaging youths mostly in northern Nigeria.

The DG of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye announced the development in a statement.

“Due to insufficient evidence gathered and apparent resistance to provide needed documents during our inspection on May 2, 2018 at the respective companies in Ilorin and Lagos, respectively, it has become necessary to shut down all product lines of the three companies – Peace Standard Pharmaceutical Limited. Plots 3 & 8, Adewole Industrial Estate, Lubcon Avenue, Ilorin, Kwara State; Bioraj Pharmaceutical Limited. No 405 Kaima Road, Ilorin, Kwara State and Emzor Pharmaceuticals Ind. Ltd., Ajao Estate, Lagos.

“This is to allow for a full and comprehensive investigation. The three companies therefore remain closed. The reopening of the manufacturing companies will depend on the level of cooperation that is shown during the comprehensive investigation,” the statement said.

A recent BBC documentary brought the codeine addiction to limelight with Nigeria’s first lady, Aisha Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly warning that government must do more to curb the abuse of cough syrup, which contains codeine.

In response to the call, THEWILL recalls that the Ministry of Health banned the production and importation of cough syrup with codeine in the country.

Monday’s statement further said: “The Director General constituted a Task Force to be made up of NAFDAC Directors- Registration and Regulatory Affairs; Narcotics and Controlled Substances; and Drug Evaluation and Research.

“Members of PMG-MAN in the Committee included the Executive Secretary of PMG-MAN, Fidson Healthcare; May & Baker PLC; and Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries. It was stated that on May 2-3, 2018 “A team of nine NAFDAC officers (2 from Drug and Evaluation Research – DER and 7 from Investigation & Enforcement – I&E) and ten mobile police officers were sent to Ilorin, Kwara State on May 2 2018 to carry out investigational inspection at the companies of the two different pharmaceutical companies that are licensed to manufacture codeine-containing syrup, and which were implicated in the BBC documentary.

“The same investigational inspection by a different NAFDAC team took place on the same day and time as the Ilorin companies at the manufacturing facility of Emzor Pharmaceuticals Ind. Ltd., Ajao Estate, Lagos.

“The focus of the assignment was to access and monitor from records the utilization, sales and effective distribution of the codeine containing cough syrups to the end users.

“Meanwhile, meeting of the stakeholders mentioned above is being planned while the shut down and full investigation.

READ MORE HERE: http://witnessngr.com/nafdac-seals-off-emzor-pharmaceuticals-others-over-codeine-abuse/

Dangerous move, the producers are not at fault rather the abusers. When would the FG stop reasoning with their anus.

new2012:


You had to switch to insult me.

Like I said earlier you have a problem, your mental matter is maggot eaten.

We are discussing and next thing is insult? How old are you?

You shut down emzor for codene, is it only codene they manufacture? Is NAFDAC dead all these while or just because of the press that they're now forced to do their job?

Dude, you have mental issues, if in a normal discussion you had to resort to insults.

Grow up

He's probably a Buhari supporter too.
Very violent on and offline.

Ijebulogic:
In that case, due to the alcoholism issue we have in Nigeria leading to motor accidents, domestic violence, liver disease etc, we should also close down Nigerian Breweries? Surely they have witnessed a surge in demand for alcohol so using your strange logic, they should also be held liable for societies ills rather than the government admitting it has not met the expectations of today's youth population who are now druggies and addicts. This problem is bigger than Emzor and the government don't understand the tsunami brewing in the nation.

Good point!

Sealing Emzor's factory is not the solution to the problem.

NAFDAC granted them license to produce the product in the first place. It is the duty of same NAFDAC to monitor how the product is sold. They should have ensured that such prescription-only medication is strictly sold on prescription by making sure that not every shop or seller gets access to the product. Such products should be sold only in pharmacies by a registered pharmacist and with the prescription of a physician. But here in nigeria, every tom, diick and harry has access to such sensitive drugs.
Emzor on her part, should stop employing non-pharmacists to sell such ethical drugs, because the tendency is that such unqualified people would not care about who and where they sell such products.

Regulation is the watchword! If you must license the sells of ethical drugs, then you have to be up and doing in regulating how they are made and sold.

DuruCrusher:
Did emzor abuse the drugs?

Or has it stopped being a cough syrup?

onACodeinDiet

Na IGBO MAN COMPANY..............IGBOS are CRIMINALS

bilazego:
Since the ban of alcohol sales in parts of Northern Nigeria, the youths over there consume things that are worse than alcohol. They smoke cow dung, inhale pit latrine, smoke coffee, mix petrol with vulcanisation's solution. They smoke weed like mad.

The all know d cause of d problem, but will choose to ignore that and chase shadows.
The root of all these is linked d brand of Islam practised in the north.
Mohamed mentioned that Muslims should not take alcohol and they have hypocritically taken it to mean they can get high on any other thing except alcohol.
I hope they don't blame Emzor for the high rate and open consumption of Marijuana in the north.

I pods are the most tribalist tribe in the universe ,three firm was shut down but they keep mentioning emzor alone other two own by yoruba. Ipod support evil as far as to defend a tribe.millions are dying of drug abuse same thing you doing in South Africa and they are burning your shop and hotel down you sell illegal drugs just for dirty money.
You people don't care about people life just to make money and blame justice.
Kudos to nafdac more. need to be done.

lonelydora:


I believe the bolded is just the issue

t

That to me seems to be the issue ,even if the sales man video did not pop up, once investigation starts into the proliferation and increased consumption of codeine in the northern part of the country they will need to collate datas of quantity produced by each pharmaceutical company and marry that quantity with those registered pharmacies ,hospitals it was sold to, and after that a process would be developed to confirm that he sales by the chemist, pharmacies were done with prescriptions ,if they were sold over the voter without the required prescription that would be a pointer that the drugs are now consumed for other purposes rather than what it was intended for.

After all the above "EMZOR" may be called to order to make sure the drugs are sold to registered pharmacies and possibly carry out advertorials in conjunction with NAFADAC to dissuade the sale of codeine without prescription.but you kno Nigeria as a country we let things get out of hand before taking necessary actions to mitigate the impact of the risk therein

rusher14:


There is nothing to understand.

We do not have a cough epidemic.

Should these manufacturers have witnessed a disproportionate increase in demand they should have cried out even if it was strictly for cough.

Anywhere else in the developed world and they might have their licences revoked.

Enough with your 3rd world reasoning.

Oga, all the codeine abused didn't come from Emzor. Much of them were even imported from Asia, and were duly cleared by customs. Why not ban customs too?
Emzor is a very big pharmaceutical company. Right from my childhood, Emzor paracetamol has been selling. They also have many other drugs that have dominated the market.

Talking about the codeine ish, hope you're aware it didn't happen overnight? Even if Emzor experienced a significant increase in their sales, it definitely happened gradually over several years, so it may not have been easy to link it go abuse specifically. Moreover, we can't say with certainty that most of the codeine abused came from Emzor and the other companies mentioned. They only dragged Emzor in cos of the rep who was possibly doing a personal runs and making his money.

In the western world, drug companies do not have a hand in regulating the consumption of drugs. It's the regulatory agencies that do that, and they are the ones that ensure pharmacist never dispense medications without prescription.

Drug companies manufacture drugs and use their established outlets of distribution. When they experience increased sales, it will be attributed to their gaining more grounds over their competitors.

Kennydoc:


Oga, all the codeine abused didn't come from Emzor. Much of them were even imported from Asia, and were duly cleared by customs. Why not ban customs too?
Emzor is a very big pharmaceutical company. Right from my childhood, Emzor paracetamol has been selling. They also have many other drugs that have dominated the market.

Talking about the codeine ish, hope you're aware it didn't happen overnight? Even if Emzor experienced a significant increase in their sales, it definitely happened gradually over several years, so it may not have been easy to link it go abuse specifically. Moreover, we can't say with certainty that most of the codeine abused came from Emzor and the other companies mentioned. They only dragged Emzor in cos of the rep who was possibly doing a personal runs and making his money.

In the western world, drug companies do not have a hand in regulating the consumption of drugs. It's the regulatory agencies that do that, and they are the ones that ensure pharmacist never dispense medications without prescription.

Drug companies manufacture drugs and use their established outlets of distribution. When they experience increased sales, it will be attributed to their gaining more grounds over their competitors.

All well and good until one of their agents was caught on camera boasting about it.

He even proved his mettle by providing cartons for undercover reporters.

Emzor has blame in this issue and it cannot be twisted any other way.

onegig:


Kindly ignore that guy. They always bury their heads in the mud and always expect government to do everything.

You can't blame him. Most are educated illiterates who just know how to read and write. Like the company does not know there's a major increase in the consumption of the drugs and just kept churning out drugs they knew was a control substance?

See this one! Which controlled substance are you talking about? These guys buy cough syrups with codeine and abuse them, and you're talking about what I don't know. The last time I checked, cough syrups are over the counter medications - Benyllin with codeine is an example.
Emzor as a company may not have even known what was happening, except you can prove to me that majority of the abused codeine came from them.
This abuse has been going on for a long time, so what ever increased sales Emzor might have experienced did not happen overnight.

They won't use this opportunity to address Tramadol abuse now o. I guess they will be waiting for CNN documentary before they will act. By then, they will blame it on another pharmaceutical company.

Useless NAFDAC!

dokiOloye:
The all know d cause of d problem, but will choose to ignore that and chase shadows.
The root of all these is linked d brand of Islam practised in the north.
Mohamed mentioned that Muslims should not take alcohol and they have hypocritically taken it to mean they can get high on any other thing except alcohol.
I hope they don't blame Emzor for the high rate and open consumption of Marijuana in the north.

But the youtube video i attached to one of my response here showed boys in Lagos who abuse codeine.

Is this down to religion as well?

See below:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG9QfEA1yfg

Lucid1:


What's wrong with acting on a tip or based on foreign intelligence?

It's akin to saying because the police receives Intel on a possible terror threat, they shouldn't act because the intel didn't originate from their domestic sources.

We should shun cynicism and embrace objectivity.

Bros,tell yourself d truth,you can't swear that it with d BBC journalist's issue you came to know about d issue codeine abuse.
Virtually every drug can be abused,panadol/paracetamol are even more abused than codeine,that is why its looking like there's an increase in the cases of gastric ulcer nowadays.
Should d govt go and shutdown d company producing d drugs.
If the Emzor marketer was found to have sold to unapproved outlets,he should be prosecuted for that,simple,alongside with his buyers and chemists/pharmacy shops who sell without prescription.
Codeine based cough syrups are not illegal drugs and have never been.They are just prescription drugs,simple.

CSTR1003:

Is this guy not deluded?

So codeine the world's best cough therapy is now the cause of lose of sanity and health?

So if people get addicted to penicillin, will you banned the companies producing them for legitimate syphilis patients?
People are addicted to gum Will you close down gum production companies?

Nature abhors a vacuum in this Nigeria? You think the pharmaceutical industry is baba ijebu?

Please tell me those that have replaced the defunct textile industries of the 70s and 80s.

You and your govt are not serious.

Your arguments have always been devoid of logic especially when it concerns the east or anyone related to the east. The
1. Who told you codeine is the best world cough "therapy"?
Codeine is just a narcotic that works by suppressing the cough reflex in the brain, eventually reducing the frequency of cough. It's neither the most active ingredient in cough cyrup nor does it cure cough all on it own. Just like every narcotics, codeine sends a false signal to the cough reflex in the brain but does nothing about the mucous concentration itself.

Narcotics have very high risk to benefit ratio due to its direct contact with the central nervous system hence it use and dosages are strictly regulated, requiring cooperation of both the manufacturers and regulators.
2. Let Emzor and the others show Nafdac and Ndlea the documents stipulating the quantity of codeine imported or produce, the quantity use in the production of cough cyrups and other drugs that requires the use of codeine and the quantity of drugs involving codeine permitted by the regulatory body to be produced and sold during the time under review.
3. No company is bigger than humanity, so if Emzor and the others are found culpable of the offence, they should be made to face the full wrath of the law.

rusher14:


In the UK codeine syrup is only available on prescription.

Wrong.

Codeine linctus can be sold over the counter in pharmacies for patients above 12 years. A prescription is only required for Codeine tablets.