Nigerian medications are losing their potency – Actress Mary Remmy Njoku raises alarm over fake drugs as she shares her experience with food poisoning

Nollywood actress and producer, Mary Remmy Njoku, has expressed concerns over the efficacy of medications in Nigeria following her experience with food poisoning on a film set.  The actress raised the alarm over possible circulation of fake drugs in an Instagram post on Tuesday after taking Imodium, a medication used to decrease the frequency of diarrhea.  According to the mother of three, she took the tablet which was purchased from one of the biggest pharmacy chains in Nigeria but the symptoms still persisted after three days.  However, when her husband gave her a tiny tablet of the same Imodium he bought abroad, she felt better within five minutes.  She called on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to urgently look into the matter.   Let me share a recent experience: I had a bit of food poisoning on a set. Sent a staff to buy Imodium from the arguably one of the biggest pharmacy chains in Nigeria. A medication Ive used many times before. I took it for three days straight, and nothing changed. The symptoms didnt stop, she wrote. Then my husband returned from a trip and gave me a tiny tablet of the same Imodium. this time from abroad. I took it, and within five minutes, my stomach calmed down. Just five minutes! This isnt my first time noticing this kind of difference. So I have to ask: What exactly are we being sold in Nigeria? Whats going on with our drugs? This is a public health risk and NAFDAC must take it seriously. This is dangerous.