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10 Women’s Health Drugs NAFDAC Warned Nigerians About | 1 & 2 Will Sh0ck You
10 Women’s Health Drugs NAFDAC Warned Nigerians About
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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has, over the years, issued a series of recalls and public safety alerts involving medicines used in contraception, pregnancy, childbirth, fertility treatment, vaginal infections and breast cancer care.
The regulatory interventions have ranged from warnings over counterfeit and falsified medicines to recalls triggered by contamination, inadequate active ingredients and other quality defects.
A review of NAFDAC’s published safety alerts and post-market surveillance reports shows that women and healthcare professionals need to pay particular attention to where medicines are purchased and to identifying information such as batch numbers, packaging, NAFDAC registration details and expiry dates.
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Here are 10 notable examples.
1. Postinor 2 — Emergency Contraceptive
In August 2025, NAFDAC issued a public alert over confirmed counterfeit Postinor 2, containing levonorgestrel 0.75mg, circulating in Nigeria.
Postinor 2 is widely used as an emergency contraceptive following unprotected sexual intercourse or contraceptive failure.
NAFDAC classified the incident as a safety alert rather than a recall of every genuine Postinor 2 product. Consumers therefore need to distinguish between legitimate products and the counterfeit version identified by the regulator.
2. Oxytocin Injection — Falsified Product
Also in August 2025, NAFDAC warned Nigerians about an unregistered and falsified Oxytocin Injection reportedly bearing the name of Anhui Hongye Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.
Oxytocin is an important maternal-health medicine used by trained healthcare professionals, particularly during and after childbirth.
Because improperly manufactured or falsified oxytocin could fail when urgently needed, NAFDAC advised heightened vigilance throughout the pharmaceutical supply chain.
3. Noristerat 200mg Injection — Counterfeit Contraceptive
In March 2025, NAFDAC raised an alarm over the sale of counterfeit Noristerat Injection 200mg in Nigeria.
Noristerat contains norethisterone enantate and is an injectable hormonal contraceptive used to prevent pregnancy.
The alert concerned counterfeit products rather than a declaration that all genuine Noristerat injections were unsafe. Consumers were advised to obtain medicines from licensed healthcare facilities and authorised pharmaceutical outlets.
4. Juhel Folic Acid Tablets — Substandard Batch Recalled
NAFDAC announced the recall of substandard Juhel Folic Acid Tablets in May 2025.
Folic acid is particularly important for women planning pregnancy and during pregnancy because adequate folate intake contributes to normal fetal development.
The regulator’s action illustrates why even commonly used vitamins and medicines should be purchased through legitimate pharmaceutical channels rather than informal markets.
5. Herceptin — Counterfeit Cancer Medicine
In August 2024, NAFDAC issued an alert confirming the presence of counterfeit Herceptin in Nigeria.
Herceptin, whose active ingredient is trastuzumab, is used in the treatment of certain HER2-positive cancers, including breast cancer.
Counterfeit cancer medicines pose an especially serious danger because patients may unknowingly receive a product without the expected quality, strength or therapeutic benefit.
NAFDAC’s current Greenbook also lists a registered trastuzumab formulation supplied by Roche, highlighting the importance of verifying medicines through authorised sources.
6. PHESGO 600mg/10ml Injection — Counterfeit Product
NAFDAC similarly issued a warning in July 2024 over the sale of counterfeit PHESGO 600mg/10ml Injection in Nigeria.
PHESGO combines pertuzumab and trastuzumab and is used in the treatment of certain HER2-positive breast cancers.
The agency’s alert again focused on counterfeit versions entering the market, rather than warning patients to abandon properly prescribed genuine treatment.
7. Brexafemme 150mg — Recall Over Cross-Contamination Risk
In January 2024, NAFDAC published an alert concerning the recall of Brexafemme 150mg tablets because of a risk of cross-contamination.
Brexafemme, containing ibrexafungerp, is an antifungal medicine used for vulvovaginal candidiasis, commonly known as vaginal yeast infection.
The action demonstrates that drug recalls can occur because of manufacturing or quality-control problems even when the medicine’s active ingredient itself remains medically useful.
8. Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) Injection — Recalled Batches
NAFDAC records also show that certain batches of highly purified human chorionic gonadotrophin, or hCG, injections manufactured by Ferring GmbH were subject to a recall.
The affected batches were linked to glass breakage around the vial inlet during filling operations, creating a potential contamination problem.
hCG has applications in fertility treatment, including assisting ovulation in some women undergoing fertility care. NAFDAC recorded that a public alert was issued and the affected product was recalled by the manufacturer.
9. Misoprostol — Failed Samples Detected During Surveillance
Misoprostol is another important medicine monitored by NAFDAC because of its role in maternal and reproductive healthcare.
In a risk-based post-market surveillance exercise covering selected medical products, NAFDAC reported that three of 195 analysed misoprostol samples failed laboratory testing, representing 1.5 per cent of the analysed samples.
The finding did not mean every misoprostol product in Nigeria was defective. Rather, it showed that particular samples detected during surveillance failed required standards.
NAFDAC said regulatory actions following the wider maternal-health surveillance exercise included engagement with marketing authorisation holders and directives to recall affected batches where necessary.
10. Oxytocin — Substandard Samples Found During Maternal-Health Surveillance
Separate from the 2025 falsified-product alert, NAFDAC’s maternal-health product surveillance also detected quality failures involving oxytocin samples already in the supply chain.
Of 137 oxytocin samples analysed during the surveillance exercise, 127 passed while 10 failed, giving a failure rate of 7.3 per cent among the analysed samples.
Following the exercise, NAFDAC said affected marketing authorisation holders were engaged, recalls of affected batches were directed, public alerts were issued and surveillance officers were instructed to mop up violating batches.
What Nigerian Women Should Know
The regulatory notices do not mean that every product bearing these drug names is unsafe.
In several cases, NAFDAC’s warning concerned a specific counterfeit product, particular batch, unregistered version or manufacturing defect, while genuine versions remained legitimate medicines when obtained from authorised sources and used appropriately.
Consumers should therefore avoid buying prescription medicines from roadside vendors, unverified social-media sellers or other unauthorised outlets.
Women undergoing fertility treatment, contraception, pregnancy-related care or cancer treatment should particularly avoid stopping or changing prescribed medicines solely because they recognise a product name on a safety-alert list. Instead, they should verify the manufacturer, batch and source with a pharmacist, doctor or NAFDAC where concerns arise.
NAFDAC’s recalls and safety-alert archive covers recalls, falsified and substandard products, withdrawals and other notices intended to protect patients and healthcare professionals from potentially harmful medical products.
Disclaimer: This report is for public information and does not replace professional medical advice. Patients should consult qualified healthcare professionals before stopping or changing prescribed medicines.
