Nigeria’s drug regulator, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, is warning that false claims about a ban on Amoxicillin could put patients at risk and disrupt proper medical treatment across the country.

The agency issued the clarification on Monday after reports spread widely on social media alleging that Amoxicillin, a commonly prescribed antibiotic, had been quietly withdrawn from use in Nigeria.

According to NAFDAC, the claim is untrue, stressing that there has been no secret or public ban on Amoxicillin and that such misinformation can cause unnecessary panic among patients who rely on the drug for bacterial infections.

Officials say NAFDAC operates an open regulatory system, where any restriction, recall, or safety decision is formally announced through its verified communication channels to ensure doctors, pharmacists, and the public are properly informed.

The agency explained that what often fuels confusion are targeted safety alerts, which focus on specific medicines that fail quality checks, rather than entire drug types being removed from circulation.

As part of its routine surveillance, NAFDAC recalled Amoxivue 500mg capsules in August 2025 after tests showed low levels of active ingredients, raising concerns about treatment effectiveness and antibiotic resistance.

Further alerts followed in October 2025, when certain batches of Astamocil, Astamentin, Annmox, and Jawamox suspensions were flagged for quality issues, actions the agency says were strictly product-specific.

NAFDAC is urging Nigerians, especially healthcare providers and patients, to verify drug safety information through official sources, warning that reliance on unconfirmed online claims could lead to misuse of medicines and endanger public health.