NAFDAC has launched an upgraded version of the Med Safety App as part of efforts to strengthen the fight against fake and substandard medicines in Nigeria.
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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control said the digital platform allows healthcare professionals and members of the public to quickly report suspected substandard and falsified (SF) medical products, as well as adverse drug reactions (ADRs).
The agency described the launch as a major step towards improving post-marketing surveillance and increasing public participation in protecting the quality, safety, and effectiveness of medicines and other medical products in the country.
According to NAFDAC, fake and substandard medicines continue to pose serious public health risks in Nigeria, contributing to treatment failure, prolonged illness, antimicrobial resistance, disability, and preventable deaths.
The improved Med Safety App comes with a more user-friendly interface, simplified reporting process, improved feedback system, and enhanced data management features. Users can also upload photographs and other product details to support investigations by the agency.
NAFDAC said Nigerians can use the platform to report medicines with altered expiry dates, suspicious packaging, fake or missing NAFDAC registration numbers, poor product quality, unexpected treatment failure, and other signs of possible falsification.
The platform also supports the reporting of adverse drug reactions, including unexpected side effects and harmful responses linked to medicines and medical products.
“Reports received through the App will support NAFDAC’s efforts to detect unsafe products early, facilitate timely investigations and regulatory interventions, strengthen national medicine quality surveillance systems, and remove harmful products from circulation,” the agency said.
NAFDAC added that growing public engagement with the upgraded platform has already contributed to improved medicine safety monitoring and faster identification of potential threats.
The agency encouraged healthcare professionals, pharmacists, physicians, nurses, patent and proprietary medicine vendors, community health workers, patients, caregivers, and the general public to actively use the app.
The Med Safety App is available on Android, iOS, web, and desktop platforms.
Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the platform provides Nigerians with a practical tool to support the fight against substandard and falsified medical products while helping to ensure that only safe, effective, and quality-assured medicines remain available to the public.
