Mr Kingsley Nsiah-Poku, Central Regional Head of Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), has cautioned radio stations against advertising unauthorized drugs on their airwaves saying the FDA will soon get tough on offenders.
He expressed dissatisfaction about the fact that calls to some radio stations to desist from that practice had fallen on deaf ears with some presenters advertising those drugs with impunity on their programmes.
Mr Nsiah-Poku said this at a media interaction organised by the FDA in Cape Coast to bring to the fore its mandate, functions and activities as well as solicit support and co-operation of the media in its operations.
He said it was time Ghanaians took their destinies into their hands and ensure that whatever drug or food items they took was wholesome and efficacious.
The Ghana FDA, by law, has the responsibility of ensuring the safety, efficacy and quality of all food and drugs whether locally manufactured, exported or imported to conform to standards set by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and World Health Organization (WHO).
The media should, therefore, demand advertisement authorization of the FDA from companies or herbalists before advertising their products adding that non- compliance of the directive contravened the FDA laws.
He asked manufactures of food and drugs, especially herbalists as well as importers, to desist from using false labels and packages to sell their drugs since such misleading and deceptive ventures were also punishable by law.
Mr Nsiah-Poku said the FDA did not issue certificates or Identity Cards to drug peddlers and, therefore, anyone who would show such identifications claiming it was issued by the Authority was misleading the public and must be reported to the Authority for prompt action.
He expressed concern about the harmful effects fake drugs and food items had on the public and asked the public to be vigilant and join in the crusade against fake drugs.
Mr Nsiah-Poku mentioned the emergence of community information centres where public address systems, which originally were to make community announcements, were used to advertise drugs of all kinds adding that the FDA had forged alliance with the co-ordinating council and metropolitan assembly to curb the unfortunate occurrence.
He pointed out that an authorized officer could enter any premises where the officer believed an article or product under the purview of FDA was prepared, preserved, packaged, stored or conveyed and take samples for examination, and warned the public of unscrupulous persons who may act under the guise of the FDA.
He mentioned ignorance on the part of some importers, emergence of information centres all over the region, non-cooperation of the media and GPRTU and unauthorized entry points into the country as some of the challenges facing the Authority.
He, therefore, called on GSA, Pharmacy Council, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Ghana Police Service, the media and other stakeholders to help the FDA in ensuring the quality of food and drugs.
Source: GNA
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