This is an important step towards safeguarding Public Health under the watchful eyes of the authorities and the press. This control exercise is not only meant to get rid of this potential harmful medication but to ensure that they do not get back into circulation for public consumption.
The agency carried out inspections of imported consignments as well as swooped on several drug sales outlets, as part of their inspection regime, to ensure that medicines in circulation are safe and efficacious for consumers.
Trucks arrive at the disposal site on old cape Road at Cape Point, Bakau, carrying what the Medicines Control Agency, regulators of the pharmaceutical sector, classified as falsified and substandard medications. Fire rescue officers are present to monitor and assist in the burning of these unsafe medications.
Also present at the site, were representatives of relevant authorities. This disposal activity is the outcome of regulatory operations of the MCA, whose inspectors have been out to inspect businesses in the pharmaceutical sector to make sure they are compliant with sector regulations.
Tijan Jallow, is the Director of Operations at the Medicines Control Agency, the quantity of medications as per the list from the Medicines Control Agency contains 3000 different batches of products which varies from different quantities. Some of these medications were recalls during the AKI incident, some of them were confiscated from Drug Peddlers who bring them into the country through our porous borders while some of them are medications that we have tested and realized that they didn’t meet their standards.
While the medicines were on the shelves, they posed a threat to the public, because they potentially could have been bought by innocent consumers, to their detriment. Medical products that are expired, sub-standard and falsified may cause harm and fail to treat the diseases for which they were prescribed. Those found importing or in possession of such medications, are in violation of relevant laws of the country.
Dr. Jerreh Sanyang Board Chair, Medicines Control Agency, all these medications that you see here are from culprits we have already taken to court and some of them paid fines while some of them have been charged by the court and they paid.
Dr. Mustapha Bittaye Director Of Health Services, highlighted the significant this is just one of the mandates of the Health Ministry to ensure that all the drugs that are consumed in this country are safe and we do this through our agencies and we are very happy that they are doing their work despite it has gotten them lot of enemies but they are getting a pat on their back from the ministry of Health because what we want is that every drug that comes into this country is safe and if some manage to enter into the country and are not safe, we want them to pick it up early so that we can do this type of exercise more.
The World Health Organization estimates that one in ten medical products, including pills, vaccines and diagnostic kits, circulating in low-and-middle-income countries, is either substandard or falsified. The global counterfeit drug trade is reportedly thriving in Africa, leading to an estimated 100,000 deaths a year.
By: Momodou Lamin Choi