FDB warns public about substandard medicines
The Food and Drugs Authourity (FDA) is cautioning the general public particularly importers, wholesalers and retailers against patronising medicines manufactured and illegally imported fromYikang Pharmaceuticals Company Limited and Nantong Jinghua Company Limited, both of China.
Advertisement
According to the FDA the medicines from the two companies which were illegally imported into the country by Lymens Medical Suppliers, local agents for the two companies, were found to be substandard.
It has subsequently cautioned hospitals, clinics, maternity homes and other health institutions against the patronage products, namely Uterotonics (oxytocin and argometrine) from the companies and its local agents, who have no registration licence from the authourity to import the medicines into the country.
Subsequently, the FDA have ban the companies and its local agents from importation of the drugs into the country until good manufacturing practice (GMP) inspections were conducted by the authourity.
Officials have also indicated thier willingness to inspect the facilities of the producers and distributors to ensure standards for the manufacture and sale of the drugs were quality and in adherence to the safe medicine production regulations.
According to officials, since the efficacy of the drugs which are meant to induce labour or control bleeding from the uterus after child birth could not be guaranteed, the general public and persons in possession must surrender them for safe disposal.
In that regard, the local suppler, Lymens is currently assisting the FDA for further investigations into the illegal importation of the products into the country.
In a statement issued in Accra and signed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Stephen Opuni, said, the FDA in collaboration with the United States Pharmacopoela (USP) have sampled the uterotonics from various hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and maternity homes, where they are in high demand for testing to access the efficacy.
In addition, the statement said that benzyl penicillin injection (an antibiotic) which was also manufactured from Yikang Pharmaceutical Company which have been in circulation for sometime now have also been found to be substandard, “implying that anyone giving this antibiotic for treatment of an infection will end up developing complications”, officials said.
The statement further indicated that the substandard oxytocin have been identified to be a fake product and could cause death in women bleeding from uterus after child birth when administered.
It said that while government is leading the way towards the reduction of maternal mortality and improving maternal health as parts of the Millenium Development Goals (MDG 5), the consumption of such products might make it difficult for the attainment.
The statement task facilities and individuals having stocks of Oxytocin, Benzyl penicillin and any other medicine manufactured by the two companies are being directed to hand over such stocks to the nearest office of the FDA for safe disposal.
The authourity is also appealing to the general public to provide information on individuals and persons engaged in any practice that endangers health and safety to willingly do so by contacting the FDA on 0244 337235 or 0246 809509.
Story by Della Russel Ocloo