FDA directs health institutions, pharmacies to return all Bliss GVS drugs

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) on Monday directed hospitals, pharmacies, licensed chemical shops and distributors of pharmaceutical products to return all medicines from Bliss GVS Pharma Limited to their suppliers with immediate effect.

A statement issued and signed by the Chief Executive Officer of FDA, Mr Stephen K. Opuni, said dossiers and documentation which Bliss GVS Pharma Limited submitted to the FDA about its operation were forged.

This directive comes on the back of the blacklisting of Bliss GVS Pharma Limited, after the FDA detected over 100 medicines imported by Tobinco from Bliss GVS to be fake and unregistered on the Ghanaian market.

“This [forged documents from Bliss GVS] technically, makes the medicines fake. The FDA will therefore not proceed to analyse such medicinal products”, the statement added.

The statement also noted that Bliss GVS Pharma has to date failed to submit all the necessary documentation required for re-registration of the few medicinal products that they applied for re-registration.

It explained that the Director of Bliss GVS Pharma admitted before officials of FDA that Gsunate Plus Suppository was a fake anti-malarial and was not used in India to treat malaria in children.

“Since they submitted forged documentation and also put fake medicines on the Ghanaian market, the FDA is cautioning the general public against patronising medicinal products manufactured by Bliss GVS Pharma Ltd, India”, it said.

“All hospitals, pharmacies, distributors and licensed chemical shops who have in stock medicines from Bliss GVS Pharma should return them to the suppliers.

“Anybody found dealing in Bliss GVS products will be sanctioned. The World Health Organization has been accordingly informed of the ban placed on Bliss GVS Pharma Ltd”, said the release from FDA.