Inspectors discovered a clandestine warehouse stocking counterfeit medicines, including a syrup allegedly made with goat urine and high-dose sildenafil.
Health authorities in Malabo have seized a range of suspected counterfeit medicines following inspections of pharmacies and clandestine warehouses. Among the items discovered was a syrup, marketed during the flu season, which a Nigerian national admitted was composed of goat urine mixed with caramel. Samples of this and other seized medications will undergo analysis to determine their authenticity and safety.
The inspection team, comprising officials from Hacienda, Comercio, Prensa, the GendarmerÃa Nacional, and Sanidad, also found 200-milligram sildenafil tablets being sold as Viagra. These dosages are significantly higher than the 25 and 50 milligrams typically prescribed by doctors. Officials noted a correlation between the consumption of such dubious products and an increase in hospital cases presenting with kidney failure, heart problems, liver issues, pneumonia, and lung conditions.
Juana Bocobo Sebbe, director general of CENTRAMED, urged the public to purchase medicines exclusively from authorized establishments and to verify their origin before consumption. She emphasized that both healthcare professionals and patients share responsibility in ensuring the safe procurement of medications, highlighting the risks associated with unverified products circulating in the market.
Why it mattersThe seizure of fake medicines, including high-dose sildenafil and a syrup made with goat urine, directly impacts public health by potentially causing severe medical complications for consumers.
Read in the ASJ desk →