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Nollywood star and filmmaker Mary Remmy Njoku has raised concerns about the effectiveness of medications in Nigeria following a bout of food poisoning she encountered while on a film set.
In an Instagram post shared on Tuesday, the actress alerted the public about the possible prevalence of counterfeit medications after using Imodium, a drug intended to reduce diarrhea frequency.
The mother of three mentioned that she consumed the tablet obtained from one of the country’s largest pharmacy chains, yet her symptoms continued unabated for 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 I’ve used many times before. I took it for three days straight, and nothing changed. The symptoms didn’t 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 isn’t my first time noticing this kind of difference. So I have to ask: What exactly are we being sold in Nigeria? What’s going on with our drugs? This is a public health risk and NAFDAC must take it seriously. This is dangerous.”
