The Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) has directed the National Agency for Foods and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to ban the issuance of permits for the importation of codeine, an active pharmaceutical ingredient for cough preparations.
Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said the directive became necessary due to the gross abuse codeine usage had been subjected to in the country. Adewole, who disclosed this yesterday in a statement issued by the Assistant Director of Information in the Ministry, Olajide Oshundun, said codeine-containing cough syrups should be replaced with dextromethorphan, “which is less addictive.”
He also directed the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) and NAFDAC to supervise the recall for labelling and audit trailing of all codeine containing cough syrups in the country, and also banned sales of codeine-containing cough syrup without prescription.
He disclosed that NAFDAC had an emergency meeting with the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group (PMGMAN) to inform them that there is an embargo on all new applications for registration of codeine-containing cough syrups, as well as applications for renewal had been abolished.
he Ministry “shall ensure collaboration among regulatory agencies namely, NAFDAC, PCN, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), for effective implementation of extant Acts, regulations, policies and guidelines on codeine control and usage.”
According to him, these agencies will work together to increase pharmacovigilance around codeine, tramadol and other related substances of abuse.
