The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has launched an upgraded version of its Med Safety App, a digital platform designed to help Nigerians report suspected fake, substandard, and falsified medical products, as well as adverse drug reactions, directly to the agency. The initiative forms part of NAFDAC’s ongoing efforts to strengthen medicine safety monitoring and protect public health across the country.
According to NAFDAC, the improved application enables healthcare professionals and members of the public to quickly and securely submit reports on suspicious medicines and harmful side effects experienced after using medical products. The agency noted that substandard and falsified medicines remain a major public health challenge, contributing to treatment failure, prolonged illness, antimicrobial resistance, disability, and preventable deaths.
The upgraded platform features a more user-friendly interface, simplified reporting procedures, enhanced data management systems, and improved feedback mechanisms. Users can also upload photographs and product information to support investigations, making it easier for regulators to identify and track potentially dangerous products in circulation.
NAFDAC explained that the app allows users to report medicines with suspicious characteristics such as altered expiry dates, unusual packaging, missing or questionable NAFDAC registration numbers, poor product quality, and unexpected treatment failures. In addition, the platform supports the reporting of adverse drug reactions, including allergic reactions, unexpected side effects, and other harmful responses linked to the use of medicines and medical products.
The agency stated that reports received through the Med Safety App will support early detection of unsafe products, facilitate timely investigations and regulatory interventions, strengthen medicine quality surveillance systems, and help remove harmful products from the market. NAFDAC added that information submitted by the public can assist the agency in identifying emerging threats and issuing safety alerts when necessary.
Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, emphasized that combating counterfeit and substandard medicines requires collective action from regulators, healthcare professionals, patients, and the general public. The agency therefore encouraged pharmacists, physicians, nurses, community health workers, patients, caregivers, and consumers to actively use the platform whenever they encounter suspicious medical products or experience adverse drug reactions.
NAFDAC also advised Nigerians to purchase medicines only from authorized and reputable sources and remain vigilant against signs of counterfeit products. The Med Safety App is available on Android and iOS devices, as well as through web and desktop versions, making it accessible to users nationwide.
Source: NAFDAC
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