The Managing Director of Bioraj Pharmaceutical Limited, Ilorin, One of the pharmaceutical companies indicted in the BBC documentary video on codeine production and distribution in Nigeria, Mr. Rahman Jimoh Bioku says the store man shown on the viral video has been suspended with immediate effect.
He stated this on Thursday while speaking with newsmen in Ilorin over the allegation against the company. He stated that the store man would eventually be sacked if found guilty, stressing that he does not any control on sales and distribution of any of its NAFDAC approved 58 products.
He further said the purported sale representative of the company also shown in the documentary had been suspended from the company since May 2016, adding that he was finally disengaged in August same year.
"Even when he was here with us, he was not allowed to handle cough syrup with codeine. Watching through the video clips, I saw in him a desperate marketer wanting to make big money from people he thought were big businessmen. Any representations made by the former sales rep and the store man shown in the video are not in line with the thinking, policy, ethical rules and regulations of Bioraj Pharmaceutical Limited."
Bioku also told reporters that the company had banned sale of Biolin cough syrup with codeine pending outcome of its investigation, adding that it would comply with the Federal Government directive to ban further issuance of permits for importation of codeine phosphate as active pharmaceutical ingredient for cough syrup preparation to tame abuse of such drug products in the country.
He further clarified that his company had not sold Codeine-containing drug to unauthorized person, group or company, stressing that it deals only with distributors and wholesalers who are duly registered with the Pharmacist Council.
"Biolin with codeine is not only registered, we comply with all rules and regulations guiding its importation, production and distribution. And none of our sales representatives has authority to take order or supply Biolin cough syrup with codeine to customers", he added.
