The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration & Control (NAFDAC) held a Pharmacovigilance Sensitization Program in Karu, AMAC, Abuja, to urge residents to report adverse drug reactions and use medicines rationally to protect patient safety and public health.
Dr. Uchenna Elemuwa (represented by Hauwa Makama), Director of Pharmacovigilance, stressed that while medicines save lives, improper use of it such as self-medication, antibiotic misuse, polypharmacy, wrong dosing, non-adherence, counterfeit drugs, drug-sharing, and buying from unauthorized vendors can lead to treatment failure, adverse reactions, longer illness, hospitalization, higher costs, and preventable deaths. She warned that misuse of antibiotics is accelerating antimicrobial resistance, making formerly treatable infections harder and costlier to manage.
Elemuwa explained that pharmacovigilance refers to the monitoring and evaluation of medicine-related harms and thus helps detect and prevent adverse effects after drugs reach the market, enabling early reporting by health workers and patients so regulators can act. Pharm. Abdulmumeen Amoto advised against taking medicines without professional guidance, sharing drugs, or failing to complete courses. Attendees were taught how to spot fake medicines and shown ways to report adverse reactions to NAFDAC, including yellow forms, the Med Safety app, and Vigi Mobile. The Sakaruyi of Karu, Joseph Danfulani, called the program timely and urged continued government support to tackle drug-related problems among local youth.
