NAFDAC unveils enhanced med safety app to tackle fake, substandard medicines

By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has launched an upgraded Med Safety App to strengthen the fight against substandard and falsified medicines and improve the reporting of adverse drug reactions across the country.

The agency said the digital platform will enable healthcare professionals and members of the public to report suspected fake or substandard medical products, as well as harmful side effects linked to medicines, in a faster and more convenient manner.

In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC described the launch as a major step towards enhancing medicine safety surveillance and protecting public health.

According to the agency, substandard and falsified medicines remain a significant public health threat, contributing to treatment failure, prolonged illness, antimicrobial resistance, disability and preventable deaths.

NAFDAC said the upgraded application comes with a more user-friendly interface, simplified reporting procedures, improved feedback mechanisms and enhanced data management capabilities. The platform also allows users to upload photographs and product details to aid regulatory investigations.

The agency explained that users can report medicines with altered expiry dates, suspicious packaging, fake or missing NAFDAC registration numbers, poor product quality and unexpected treatment failures.

“The platform also allows the reporting of adverse drug reactions, including unexpected side effects and harmful responses to medical products,” the statement said.

NAFDAC noted that reports received through the app would support early detection of unsafe products, facilitate prompt investigations and regulatory actions, strengthen medicine quality surveillance systems and help remove harmful products from circulation.

The agency further stated that growing public engagement with the improved platform has already enhanced medicine safety monitoring and accelerated the identification of potential threats.

Urging Nigerians to embrace the initiative, NAFDAC encouraged healthcare professionals, pharmacists, physicians, nurses, patent medicine vendors, community health workers, patients and caregivers to download and actively use the application.

“Available on Android, iOS, web and desktop platforms, the App provides every Nigerian with a practical tool to support the fight against substandard and falsified medical products and help ensure that only safe, effective and quality-assured medicines are available to the public,” the agency added.