By Michael AMAJAMA
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration, NAFDAC, has raised the alarm over the circulation of fake contraceptive brand, Postinor 2, in Nigeria.
In an alert on Tuesday, NAFDAC said there was falsified Type 1 and Type 2 batches of POSTINOR 2 (Levonorgestrel 0.75mg) product in circulation.
“A report was received from the Marketing Authorisation Holder Society for Family Health, Nigeria, confirming that they did not import the product batch in question,” the statement stated.
According to the agency, “the falsified product details are as follows:
“On the fake product, the PIN verification sticker has a smaller font size and misspells “Verify” as “Veify”. The original sticker uses a larger, clearer font.
“On the fake pack, the word “Distributed in Nigeria” is wrongly spelt as “Distnibuted in Nigeria”.
Risk Statement: “Due to the possible presence of harmful or substandard ingredients, incorrect dosages of levonorgestrel, and unsafe manufacturing practices, falsified Postinor-2 (Levonorgestrel 0.75mg) poses serious risks to individual health and public safety.
“These risks include contraceptive failure, toxic contamination, unpredictable side effects, delayed or missed access to genuine emergency contraception, and long-term reproductive health complications.
“Counterfeit medicines may also contain unknown substances that can cause allergic reactions, organ damage, or even death. Patients are strongly advised to obtain Postinor-2 only from verified pharmacies or licensed healthcare providers.
“Healthcare professionals and consumers are advised to report any suspicion of the sale of substandard and falsified medicines or medical devices to the nearest NAFDAC office, call 0800-162-3322 or send an email to sf.alert@nafdac.gov.ng”
