Bioraj Pharmaceuticals Embargoes Sale of Cough Syrup with Codeine

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

An indigenous pharmaceuticals company, Bioraj pharmaceuticals, in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, thursday disclosed that the company had placed embargo on the sale of Violin cough syrup with codeine.

The Managing Director of the company, Mr. Bioku Rahamon, disclosed this to journalists in Ilorin on the sideline of the recent ban placed on the selling and taking of codeine cough syrup by the federal government.
He said the company does not have control on the sale and distribution of any products.

Recently, there was an investigative report by the British Broadcasting Corporations (BBC) where it secretly filmed one Baba Ibeji, an alleged official of Bioraj Pharmaceuticals.

The pharmaceutical is a licensed medical producer which manufactures a codeine cough syrup called Biolin.
The official was alleged to have been dealing with illegal sales of cough syrup.

But, Rahamon stated that “the revelation of the BBC is an eye opener and the company is taking it with all seriousness.

“We do not sell codeine containing preparation to an unauthorised persons or premises,” he said.
The Bioraj MD, also explained that none of the sales representative has authority to supply Biolin with codeine.
Rahamon stated that the sales official who spoke in the video recorded by BBC was suspended from Bioraj since May 2016.

He also said the store-man who was also shown in the video clip is a serving staff of Bioraj Pharmaceuticals.

He added that the affected store man if found guilty would be eventually sacked from the company.
The company, he said, will comply with the federal government directives to ban the importation of codeine phosphate as active pharmaceutical ingredient for cough preparation.

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