Inscrutable medicines and marginal markets: tackling substandard veterinary drugs in Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Substandard drugs have long been a major human health problem in developing countries, and similar issues also beset the veterinary drug industry. Although less immediately costly to human life, the failure of veterinary treatment can be devastating for pastoralist livelihoods. Research on this problem has tended to be scientific, focussing on the prevalence and potential consequences of poor-quality products. In contrast, the social processes by which such products are traded and used have received far less scholarly attention. This study takes the case of animal African trypanosomiasis, one of Africa's most important cattle diseases, and uses interviews and focus groups to follow drugs as they pass through the supply chain from importers and distributors to vendors and customers. Results: Each set of actors uses different strategies to mitigate the risks of substandard drugs. For instance, pastoralists experiment carefully with suspect products before using them across their herds, whilst drug vendors and cattle owners try to invest in relationships with one another. These efforts of building reputation and trust, however, are hampered by the elusive nature of substandard drugs. Drug quality is impossible to gauge visually, and the treatment failure that substandard drugs can produce also has other causes, confusing the issue. Conclusion: Nigerian regulators are beginning to address this problem. A keen understanding of the strengths (efficiency and reach into rural areas) and weaknesses (difficulties in identifying fake and substandard products) of the veterinary drug marketplace should underpin their response to this issue.