House of Reps seek regulation of Online Drug Sales

The House of Representatives has urged the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to regulate activities of online drug advertisers and sellers in Nigeria. This call was made by Rep. Onofiok Luke (PDP-Akwa-Ibom) on Tuesday in Abuja. There is a need to regulate online advertisers and sellers of drugs, noting that they are delivering marketing messages to an unidentified and intended audience.

“Online advertisement has become increasingly important to business owners and service providers across the world because it was cost-efficient.

The Rep added that online vendors had capitalised on free access to the internet and social media platforms to advertise and sell unregistered and sometimes fake drugs to unsuspecting members of the public.

He added that Nigerians were being enticed into buying drugs ranging from dietary supplements, cholesterol-lowering medicine including tramadol and aspirin to viagra among others

The lawmaker said that the drugs were usually purchased without a doctor’s prescription or pharmacist’s advice.

He noted that the law requires that advertisement of any drug or related product should be accurate, complete, clear, and designed to promote credibility and trust to the public.

The House called on the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria to liaise with online advertising companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter among others to monitor, control and enforce standards.

The House also urged the Pharmacists Council of Nigerian to sanction and prosecute individuals engaging in the sales and promotion of medicine online without requisite authorisation in line with the law.

The House also urged the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to take necessary action toward protecting consumers of online drugs.