Health
Enugu alerts residents to fake antibiotics in circulation
Raphael Ede Enugu
The Enugu State Ministry of Health has issued a public health alert over the circulation of counterfeit Augmentin 625mg tablets —antibiotics within Nigeria, warning that the dangerous fake products may have entered the state’s pharmaceutical supply chain.
In a statement on Thursday, signed on behalf of the Commissioner for Health by the ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Ugodu Chidiogo, the government urged residents to exercise extreme caution when purchasing the widely used antibiotic.
According to the ministry, available intelligence reveals that the counterfeit drugs were cleverly packaged to mimic the genuine product manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Specifically, the fake tablets carry the exact same batch number—’Batch No. AC3N’—as the authentic brand.
However, health authorities highlighted key anomalies that regular consumers and healthcare providers can look out for to spot the fake product.
The statement read in part, “The fake products carry inconsistent manufacturing and expiry dates of September 2025 and 2028, respectively. The counterfeit tablets also exhibit textural errors and poor-quality packaging seals, raising serious concerns about their safety, quality, and effectiveness.”
The ministry warned that consuming unregulated and counterfeit medicines poses severe health risks, as they lack the required therapeutic efficacy and may contain harmful contaminants.
To mitigate the risk, the state government advised members of the public to strictly patronize licensed pharmacies and accredited health facilities for their medications. It also charged healthcare providers and patients to carefully inspect the physical packaging and labeling of all Augmentin 625mg tablets before administration or consumption.
“Anyone who suspects possession or sale of the counterfeit product should immediately report it to the nearest health authority or the Enugu State Ministry of Health. Together, let us protect our communities from the dangers of counterfeit medicines,” Chidiogo added.
The infiltration of fake antibiotics into the Nigerian market remains a major battle for regulatory agencies like the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, as health ministries across various states intensify surveillance to mop up lethal, substandard products from circulation.
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