NDA detects coffee tainted with Viagra

The National Drug Authority (NDA) has said it found significant quantity of viagra in M-Magix Coffee being marketed in the country with claim of keeping men strong. 

Viagra is a drug containing Sidenafil active ingredients, a prescription only medicine that’s approved to treat erectile dysfunction.  

NDA said they detected the problem after some members of the public reported abnormal reactions after taking the M-Magix coffee last month. 

Dr Denis Mwesigwa, the director of inspectorate and enforcement at NDA, told journalists in Kampala yesterday that adulteration of food with pharmaceutical ingredients is unacceptable. 

“The public is strongly warned against using M-Magic Coffee and NDA hereby directs all pharmacies, drug shops, supermarkets and general merchandise shops to stop sale or stocking of this product,” he said. 

He added: “NDA has directed the importer of M-Magix coffee to stop importation and recall all the supplied batches of this product with immediate effect.” 

Mr Abiaz Rwamwiri, the NDA spokesperson, said they are also engaging the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) on how coffee “adulterated” with pharmaceutical ingredient Sidenafil citrate was allowed to be sold in the country. 

“The first thing as NDA is to protect the public first then the other discussion with UNBS can come in later. We are in touch with UNBS to understand how long they have been exporting the product into the country and the quantity imported so that our team can go to the last shop to collect all these,” he said.  

Ms Sylvia Kirabo, the UNBS head of communications, said she would get back to us when our reporter asked for comments. She had not yet responded by press time. 

In 2018, UNBS said their surveillance report for 2017 and 2018 indicated that more than 54 percent of goods on the market are substandard or fake. 

The agency has laboratories where food and other items, which are imported into the country, are assessed for safety and other standard requirements. 

Dr Amoreen Naluyima, the manager of Medicine testing at NDA, said putting viagra in coffee could only be accepted if there was a clinical trial to support it.

She said Sidenafil citrate is only prescribed by qualified medical personnel because of its serious side effects including renal failure, abdominal complications, respiratory and heart problems, coma, and death.