The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has alerted Nigerians to the circulation of counterfeit batches of Postinor-2, a widely used emergency contraceptive.
The warning came after the Society for Family Health, the authorised distributor of the drug, confirmed that it had no connection with the questionable consignments.According to NAFDAC, the fake products can be identified through several packaging errors. The counterfeit packs carry a poorly printed pin-verification sticker with the word “Veify” instead of “Verify,” and the fonts appear much smaller than on genuine products. In addition, the back of the packs are misprinted with “Distnibuted in Nigeria” instead of “Distributed in Nigeria.”The agency identified two falsified types currently in circulation. One is marked with batch number T36184B, manufactured in August 2024 and expiring in August 2028. The second bears batch number 332, with a production date of March 2023 and expiry date of February 2027. In contrast, the genuine product is batch T32458H, manufactured in February 2023 and due to expire in February 2027, under registration number 04-6985.
NAFDAC warned that consuming these fake contraceptives poses serious health risks, as they may contain harmful or ineffective ingredients. This could lead to contraceptive failure, unexpected side effects, long-term complications, or even death. The agency stressed that counterfeit medicines are untested, unsafe, and illegal.
To address the situation, NAFDAC has deployed its zonal and state offices to intensify surveillance and seize the counterfeit products wherever they are found. Nigerians are urged to buy Postinor-2 only from licensed pharmacies, check packaging details carefully, and report any suspicious products through NAFDAC’s toll-free line, email, or its Med-Safety mobile app.By issuing this alert, the agency reaffirmed its commitment to protecting public health and ensuring that only safe and authentic medicines reach the Nigerian market.
