Fighting faking and counterfeiting: Lessons from the Nigerian NASS Clinic

Abstract

Abstract: Faking and counterfeiting remains a major barrier to the management and control of important diseases that plague developing countries. As well as constituting significant risk to patients and consumers, it also undermines the strengthening of developing country healthcare systems and the development of new drugs. The Department of Pharmaceutical Services of the Nigerian National Assembly (NASS) routinely undertakes in-house quality assurance activities to ensure safety and quality of supplied medicines. The NASS approach can contribute to the development of a more robust policy in the fight against faking and counterfeiting, as well as form a basis for more collaborative efforts in this area. This in turn will strengthen healthcare systems in developing countries as well as protect the pharmaceutical industry’s investment in research and development for new drugs.