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Six persons have been arrested in a market swoop to uproot drug peddlers operating in parts of the Ashanti Region.
A joint team from the Food and Drugs Authority and the police were arrested during post-market surveillance at the Racecourse and Bantama areas in the capital Kumasi.
The exercise was conducted to bring such offenders into compliance with the Public Health Act 2012, Act 851.
Speaking with Accra-based Asaase Radio, the Ashanti Regional Head of the FDA John Laryea Odei-Tettey said large quantities of unregistered drugs were seized during the routine inspection. He indicated that the suspects have been handed over to the police to assist in investigations.
“The exercise we carried out was just one of the routine ones which led to the arrest of the persons. And We did that around the Racecourse and Bantama areas. Six people were arrested and are with the police and they will be processed. The law also gives the authorization to issue regulatory fines, so that is where we are now,” Tettey said.
He further warned that the authority would soon take legal action against advertisers including radio stations and information centres who use their platforms to market such unregistered products.
“When it comes to the FDA regulated products, the product must be registered, and if you want to advertise, the advertisement must also be approved, so these people are also in the same class of people doing the wrong things, just like how some radio stations advertise drugs that have not been approved. So, the law says no one should advertise products that have not received the approval, so both the owner of the product and the medium advertising are both culpable.”
“We want to send this signal to them (drug peddlers) that wherever they are they are cautioned to desist from this illegal act because we will come after them.”
Tettey also advised retailers to check proof of registration before they buy drugs and report the same to their outfit for immediate action.
“We want to encourage the general public to buy their medicines from the registered places, and they must always ensure that the product is registered. If they take any medicine that gives them untold feelings or experiences, they should promptly report to any FDA office for immediate action to be taken.
For those who sell in large quantities, the wholesalers and retailers should also ensure that before they buy from the distributors, they should see proof of registration or check with the FDA”, he advised.
SOURCE: DAILY MAIL GH
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