The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, has warned that current heatwaves pose a serious challenge to maintaining drug potency.

She spoke during an institute anniversary at the University of Ibadan’s College of Medicine. Adeyeye, represented by Inkem Ifudu, said protecting active pharmaceutical ingredients is now a front-burner issue.

Adeyeye explained that heat stress acts as a quiet destroyer of essential medications. Common antibiotics like amoxicillin are highly sensitive to temperature changes. Life-saving items like oxytocin can become completely deactivated when heat rises. This leaves doctors unknowingly administering useless treatments.

To combat this, NAFDAC has deployed seven laboratories nationwide for post-market surveillance. The agency randomly pulls drug samples to check if they meet original standards. Where adulteration is found, NAFDAC has pursued litigation and levied heavy sanctions against defaulting distributors.

Adeyeye urged Nigerians to avoid roadside drug hawkers and uncertified vendors. She advised buying medicines only from certified, temperature-regulated pharmacies. She also stressed following proper home preservation guidelines from medicine leaflets.

The Oyo State ACPN chairman, Adebayo Ogundamosi, said pharmacists are forced to invest heavily in air conditioning. The association is shifting toward solar energy and loans for WHO-approved fridges. IAMRAT Director Prof IkeOluwapo Ajayi added that compromised drugs create a dangerous illusion of healing while illnesses progress unchecked.