Counterfeit drugs epidemic in Nigeria: Consumers’ who can save you?

Contingent upon the pivotal roles of medical products in the enhancement of peoples’ health, unscrupulous business men have embrace trade in counterfeit drugs. Against this backdrop, this paper examines the nature of counterfeit drugs trade, explore the consequences of the illicit trade on consumers, identify the participants in drugs trade, ascertain the roles of government agencies in protecting consumers and explain consumers’ self- protection actions. The study adopts a qualitative research design. Papers reviewed were sourced from NAFDAC and WHO websites as well as Google Scholars and Elsevier among other search engines. The study found a high prevalence of counterfeit drugs in Nigeria. Regrettably, the unrelenting supply of counterfeit drugs has done incalculable damage. Specifically, trade in counterfeit drugs deprave drugs manufacturers and consumers of hard-earned income, as well as constitute health hazards. The paper concludes that trade in counterfeit drugs is detrimental to the individuals, health care service delivery and the entire society. In the light of high prevalence of informal drug sellers, this paper recommends among others that government should set up a regulatory agency saddled with the responsibilities of registering and monitoring the activities of these informal drug sellers.