An Arise TV journalist, Oseni Rufai, has claimed that nearly all Paracetamol tablets sold in Nigeria do not meet stipulated dosage standards.
In other words, the paracetamol tablets fall short of the requirements specified by the British Pharmacopoeia and the World Health Organization (WHO).
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Rufai posted the claim thus:
“NEWS
“Nearly all paracetamol sold in Nigeria underdosed – Investigation.”
The claim has garnered over 450,000 views with over 1,700 reposts, more than 3,600 likes and over 500 comments as of July 24, 2024.
CLAIM
Nearly all Paracetamols sold in Nigeria are underdosed.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE as the Nigerian regulatory agency, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) had previously debunked the study Rufai relied upon since January 2024.
Paracetamol (Panadol, Calpol, Alvedon) is a popular analgesic and antipyretic drug used to relieve mild-to-moderate pain and fever temporarily. It is commonly included as an ingredient in cold and flu medications and is also used on its own.
It is one of the most widely used painkillers by Nigerians and can be bought over the counter in pharmacies and supermarkets.
A Google search using the key phrase ‘Paracetamols sold in Nigeria are underdosed’ reveals that Rufai’s claim was based on a study (now retracted) titled “Comparative Analysis of Five Different Brands of Paracetamol Sold in Nigeria with British Pharmacopoeia Standards” which was published in the journal: Communication in Physical Sciences.
‘Communication in Physical Science‘ is a peer reviewed journal published by the Faculty of Physical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). The journal was formerly known as “Journal of Physical Sciences.”
According to the study, samples from five different paracetamol brands, each claiming to contain 500mg, were tested and analyzed using the spectrophotometric method.
The concentrations, according to the study, ranged from 185mg to 358mg, which was much lower than the suggested 500mg limit.
The study’s researchers raised concerns about the possibility of treatment failure in the country due to underdosed paracetamol tablets.
However, findings show that the NAFDAC had in January 2024 debunked the study and confirmed that Paracetamol tablets in Nigeria meet both national and international pharmaceutical standards.
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The agency conducted a laboratory test on the Paracetamol tablets sampled from 13 different manufacturers in Lagos and Abuja. The tablets were tested according to the British Pharmacopoeia 2023 edition volume, with all 20 tablets per manufacturer passing the assay with a 100% compliance rate.
“The result of our test clearly showed that all the twenty tablets from each manufacturer met the stipulated dosage standards and specifications. This includes adherence to both national and international regulatory requirements,” part of the report reads.
“This is a 100% pass rate for the full compendia tests result for the 20 samples of paracetamol tablets tested. The assay was validated using British Pharmacopoeia testing methodologies for precise and reliable assessments of the dosage levels in the sampled paracetamol tablets,” NAFDAC stated.
NAFDAC further refuted claims made in the study suggesting substandard tablets. They highlighted several discrepancies in the study such as incorrect use of UV spectrophotometric absorbance (usage of 700 nm instead of the recommended 257 nm), inadequate sample size (only two tablets used by the study), and lack of transparency in methodology, including missing details on solvent use, equipment calibration, and sample preparation.
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These errors led to the retraction of the study from the journal “Communication in Physical Sciences”, according to NAFDAC.
NAFDAC emphasized that their rigorous testing procedures, which included additional parameters like uniformity of mass and disintegration time, confirmed that the paracetamol tablets meet both national and international standards.
You can read NAFDAC’s full findings on the paracetamol study here.
This is not the first time Rufai will be sharing false information on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter).
Recall that Rufai had previously on January 30, 2022 claimed that there are over 136 refineries in the United States of America (USA), adding that there are 47 refineries in Texas alone.
The FactCheckHub debunked the claims here, as data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) contradicted his claims.
THE VERDICT
The claim by Rufai that nearly all the paracetamol tablets in Nigeria are underdosed is FALSE; the study has been debunked by the NAFDAC.
Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.