The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has revealed that it has successfully investigated the paracetamol tablet that is being consumed in Nigeria, News About Nigeria reports.
The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Christianah Adeyeye, made this known on Monday, stating that the paracetamol tablets on sale in the country meet stipulated dosage standards and specifications in adherence with national and international regulatory requirements.
Recall that in a 2023 study titled ‘Comparative Analysis of Five Different Brands of Paracetamol Sold in Nigeria with British Pharmacopoeia Standards’, researchers claimed that after a test where samples had been analysed using the spectrophotometric method, the paracetamol concentrations were reportedly found to range from 185mg to 358mg, which is less than the recommended 500mg.
The study’s researchers had also raised concerns about the possibility of treatment failure due to under-dosed paracetamol tablets.
However, Adeyeye, at a press conference on the findings from the laboratory tests of paracetamol tablets in Lagos, stated that the paracetamol tablets on sale in Nigeria are okay and not under-dosed.
According to her, the full compendia tests resulted in a 100% pass rate for the 20 samples of paracetamol tablets that were tested, adding that the assay was validated using British Pharmacopoeia testing methodologies.
It is for precise and reliable assessments of the dosage levels in the sampled paracetamol tablets.
She further described the 2023 report as false and unscientific, stating that it was a disservice to the pharmaceutical industry and the nation at large, and noted that the agency will take legal action against the researchers.
Adeyeye maintained that the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector in Nigeria will continue to strive to maintain and enhance the quality of pharmaceutical products to align with NAFDAC’s quality culture.
