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Banned Coarsucam: LAGOS Seals 29 Illegal Patent Medicine Stores

Kunle Awosiyan |

Following the rampant sales of illegal drugs across the country of which an anti-malaria brand of drug Artesunate/amodiaquine known as Coarsucam is among, Lagos State Government has sealed 29 illegal patent medicine stores in the metropolis.

Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Modele Osunkiyesi disclosed this on Tuesday, saying that the 29 shops were sealed off for various offences contrary to the provisions of the law on the operation of Pharmacies and Patent Medicine stores in Lagos State.

The drug is still readily available in the open market across the country with NAFDAC registration number B40116 on it and it is a fast lane to mental and cerebral dysfunction, for any user of the medicine.

Artesunate/amodiaquine (trade name Coarsucam) is a fixed-dose artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) indicated for the treatment of acute uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

Osunkiyesi noted that the latest closure was coming on the heels of the government’s renewed mandate to the Taskforce to comb all nooks and crannies of the state for illegal patent medicine and pharmaceutical stores’ operators.

According to her, the closure is part of government’s efforts at ridding the state of fake, substandard and illegal drugs’ operators and outlets as well as ensuring high drug quality through sanitation and streamlining of drug distribution system in the state”.

The Permanent Secretary noted that the sealing of fake pharmaceutical premises was in accordance with the provision of Chapter C34 of the Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provision) Act of 1999, Number 25.

Osunkiyesi added that the raid was necessitated by the persistent defiance of government’s stipulated regulation on drug production, importation, manufacture, sales or display for sales, hawking, distribution, adulteration, and possession of drugs by illegal operators. According to Osunkiyesi, the shops were sealed off for offences ranging from sales of drugs without license from the regulatory authority; to failure or refusal to relocate from a market area and adherence to the mandated distance between a patent medicine shop and market place as stipulated by the law; and sales of counterfeit and fake drugs amongst others.

She listed some of the affected Patent Medicine Stores and unregistered premises as including; Goodnews Store located at 8, Badore Road, Folarin Bus-stop, Ajah; Jonadab Nwaogwugwu Chemist, Seyi-Omogwa Street, Lakowe Phase2, Lekki; and BL Supermarket, Yomade Shopping Mall, Awoyaya Bus-stop, Lekki.

Others are; Tela Rose Pharmacy, 13 Shonibare S. Complex, Awoyaya, Ibeju-Lekki; Omata Chemist, 2 Seyi Omogwa Street, Lakowe Phase2, Lekki; and Uzoma Shop, Bale Palace, Abijo town, Lekki; and Chidominion Stores, Olasuru Shopping Plaza, Haruna Bus-stop, Sangotedo, Lekki, Ajah.

The Permanent Secretary also listed Chinkem Pharmaceutical Ltd., Sangotedo, Lekki, Ajah; Shade Chemist, 2, David Oladapo Street, Ajah; Big Friend Merchant Store, Sangotedo Ajah; and Kike Medicine Stores, Oke-Imole Street, Sangotedo, Ajah as outlets that were affected by the exercise.

Osunkiyesi who expressed concern on the danger posed by the nefarious activities of illegal operators of patent medicine and pharmaceutical stores in the state added that it was particularly disheartening that despite the provisions of the law which outlines requirements still thriving and causing serious ripples in the Nigeria market despite the ban on the drug by World Health Organisation.

It will be recalled that the National Coordinator, National Malaria Control Programme, Nnenna Ezeigwe, gave the advice last year that Nigerians should stop using Artesunate/amodiaquine.

However, a patient Mr. David Alowonle told Marketing Edge that the drug was sold to him by a pharmacy store (names withheld), adding that he could not sleep for three days after he took the drug.

He said, “Any time I have malaria, I use Artesunate but the last one I bought contained Amodiaquine, which nearly turned my brain. I took one in the morning, one at night for three days. After the third day that I could not sleep, I developed mental problem and suddenly became very energetic I nearly beat up my wife.”

Alowonle told Marketing Edge that the drug turned his tongue but was saved by the family doctor who flushed out the drug for him to become normal again.

When Marketing Edge visited some pharmaceutical stores, it discovered that the drug was available and sold between N250 and N300 as anti-malaria medicine.

When contacted, Mr. Kingsley Ejiofor, Head of Investigation and Enforcement, National Food and Drug Administration and Control, sent a text message that he would not be able to answer any calls at the time of going to press.

A message sent to him to react what NAFDAC is doing about the resurfacing of the drug in Nigeria market could not be replied.