Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana calls for investigation FDA, Tobinco impasse
The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) has called on the government to investigate the current impasse between the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited, over the importation of alleged fake drugs.
Advertisement
The impasse, according to the PSGH, smacked of a systemic regulatory failure and lack of technical assessment at the nation’s points of entry.
In a statement issued in Accra yesterday, the society said it endorsed the full application of the law on any person or company proven to have imported into or manufactured fake, substandard or counterfeit medicines illegally in the country, since it had the tendency of putting the health of the public at risk.
It also condemned unproven and unsubstantiated alerts and allegations on medicines by the FDA or any agency because such ‘alarmist’ information created unnecessary panic among all stakeholders in the medicines industry including the public.
The statement said such action by any agency also undermined the integrity and efforts of the affected pharmaceutical companies as their hard-won reputation and businesses risked public disaffection.
It expressed the PSGH’s willingness to work with the Minister of Health, the FDA, pharmaceutical importers, pharmaceutical manufacturers and other stakeholders, as it had done in the past, to ensure the availability of quality, safe and efficacious medicines that were affordable.
Engagement
The statement said the PSGH’s attempt to engage the FDA had not materialised and made reference to a letter dated June 6, 2013 for that purpose, which request the Authority was yet to respond to.
It said the PSGH, as part of its professional approach to ensuring safety, efficacy and quality of generic medicines, fully supported the efforts of the Ministry of Health and some development partners to establish a Bioequivalence and Biopharmaceutical Research Centre in Ghana.
The centre will serve the entire West African region to ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of generic essential medicines and hence ensure quality pharmaceutical care and the sustainability of the NHIS in member countries.
The PSGH warned that appropriate sanctions would be applied against any of its members who would condone any illicit or unprofessional act in the discharge of his/her duties as a pharmacist.
Source: Daily Graphic/Ghana