FDA urged to collaborate effectively with key agencies

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has been urged to collaborate effectively with key state agencies to prevent unregistered and fake health products from entering the market.

Effective collaboration with organisations like the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) would thwart the entry of such products unto the market.

These were some of the views suggested by participants in Sunyani during a forum to end a-day’s stakeholders’ training workshop on Medical Devices (MDs), funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom.

The event, on the theme “National Training on MDs Regulation in Ghana” was attended by more than 50 participants from health facilities and Municipal and District Health Directorates in the Brong-Ahafo Region.

It was the second in a nationwide Regional workshops being organized by the FDA to educate and sensitize stakeholders about laws and regulations to ensure best practices on the procurement and sale of MDs. The first was held at Ho in the Volta Region.

They argued that a stronger cooperation would not only ensure conformity and maintenance of acceptable standards in the local production, importation and sales of drugs in the country but would also guarantee quality health and safety of the populace.

It would also reduce the financial cost of the periodic post market surveillance exercise that is undertaken by the regional offices of the FDA to ensure sanity in the food and drugs industry, the participants added.

Mr. Philip Opoku, Head of Pharmacy at the Bechem Government Hospital in the Tano South District described the workshop as timely because “we were enlightened about faulty, fake and unregistered MDs”.

Besides, the knowledge acquired would also assist in proper procurement of MDs since “we would be insisting on provision of FDA’s registration certificates from the companies before contracts for supplies are awarded to them “.

Ms. Paulina Ayaaba, Principal Executive Officer at the Jaman North District Health Directorate lauded the “highly educative nature of the training” because “in the tendering processes to procure medical supplies, we often demand business registration certificate but not that of the FDA”.

Meanwhile in a separate slide presentations, the participants were highlighted on the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), Food and Drugs Law as it relates to MDs Regulation.

They were also taught the meaning of MDs, types of MDs, regulatory requirements, key things to look for when evaluating a medical device, labeling, classification and compliance.