USP chief celebrates NAFDAC on Kaduna lab accreditation

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), Dr. Ron Piervincenzi, visited Nigeria to participate in the celebration of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Kaduna laboratory accreditation as ISO/IEC 17025: 2005.

The USP CEO was received by the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, the acting Director General (DG) of NAFDAC, Mrs. Yetunde Oni, the Deputy Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) mission in Nigeria, Mrs. Erin Holleran, Chief of Party of the USP/Promoting Quality of Medicines (PQM) programme, Dr. Chimezie Anyakora, and a host of other dignitaries at a ceremony in Abuja.

Piervincenzi stated that he was honored and delighted to have the opportunity to join the Honorable Minister of State for Health and the other honored guests for the presentation of the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation certificate to the NAFDAC laboratory in Kaduna. According to him, the attainment of the accreditation is another example of NAFDAC’s commitment to strengthening medicine quality systems and the result of the strong partnership between NAFDAC and PQM programme funded by USAID and implemented by USP. He stressed that protecting the public against substandard and falsified medicines is a challenge faced by every country, in every part of the world. “Those countries that make progress in protecting patients and public health are those with the political leadership and political will to invest in medicines quality.” According to Piervincenzi, the leaders of Nigeria, including the Minister of State of Health, Dr. Ehanire and Acting DG NAFDAC, Mrs. Yetunde Oni have demonstrated this leadership and will.

Anyakora said PQM programme works in over 30 countries and Nigeria is the only country where PQM’s support to the National Regulatory Authority has resulted in three accredited Laboratories. According to Anyakora, Nigeria is on the path of irreversible growth in the pharmaceutical sector and NAFDAC is showing great leadership. Earlier in the year NAFDAC celebrated the accreditation of her regional Laboratory at Agulu, Anambra State. ISO/IEC 17025:2005 is the international requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. This International Standard comprises clauses relating to the management system for quality, administrative and technical operations. Laboratories with ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation are highly regarded internationally. Technical competence of staff, validity and appropriateness of test methods, sampling, handling and transportation of test items, traceability of measurements and calibrations to required standard and quality assurance of test are features of such laboratories. The test reports from ISO/IEC 17025 laboratories are adjudged to be accurate, reliable and reproducible.