The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has commenced training of 20,000 young pharmacists across Nigeria in a bid to curb the problem of drug abuse in the country. The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof Moji Adeyeye stated that the training was to conduct a research across the country in relation to drug abuse.
“We are working with not less than 20,000 young pharmacists to do a pilot phase of study in the six geopolitical zones. Those young pharmacists are carefully selected and they are not more than 35 years of age. They are expected to visit secondary schools across the country, distribute questionnaires and conduct a systematic study on the scope of drug abuse,” she said.
Prof. Moji Adeyeye said that the most commonly abused drugs in the country were codeine and tramadol. The Director- General of NAFDAC described tramadol as a synthetic opioid analgesic used to treat moderate to severe pain and was the most abused medicine among drug addicts. She also added that the use of tramadol has no effects on the respiratory system but an overdose can cause arrhythmias, cramps, coma and death.
She said that NAFDAC was ready, determined and more committed than ever to curb drug abuse and ensure that those dealing with illicit and substandard drugs face the law.
