PRESS ADVISORY
THE
TION AND RELEASE OF SUBSTANDARD / FALSIFIED (SF) MEDICATION ON OUR LOCAL MARKET THROUGH RETAIL PHARMACIES.
The Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) wishes to inform the general public about the circulation of substandard / falsified (SF) medication at local Pharmacies. The GA-FDD on August 22, 2019 launched an investigation after receiving a complaint that an unknown individual is either clandestinely manufacturing and / or importing SF medication and releasing same for sale on our local market at retail pharmacies.
Inspectors of the department visited sixteen (16) pharmacies in Georgetown and outlying areas during the period August 22 to23, 2019. At nine (9) of the 16 pharmacies, inspectors unearthed a total of seventeen (17) boxes of a medication labelled “chancapiedra phosmovite” with a manufacturer’s address stated only as “Mainland Labs in Canada”, which claim to treat gall and kidney stones, clean the liver and the urinary tract. Inspectors also found twenty-eight (28) boxes of a product named“Fungabort” with the same manufacturer’s address which claimto be effective in the treatment of nail fungus. In addition,twenty-three (23) boxes of Phosferine were also seized and removed from premises, since the stated address “PhosferineHealth Care Co., Toronto Canada” could not have been established by this department. Efforts to verify the stated address on the labels of other two products by the Department were also unsuccessful. All of the items were seized and removed from the premises. See attached pictures of the seized items.
In an effort to locate the wholesaler / distributor, none of the pharmacies visited was able to furnish receipts or otherdocumentation as proof of purchase to Inspectors. This is a clear breach of the Consumer Affairs Act Section 18: 1-3, it is also a breach of the Food and Drug’s Act, Part VI, chapter 21 section(c & d) which speaks to adequate record keeping for traceability purposes particularly for the sale of medication for patient use. The average retail cost for the chanca piedra phosmovite, Fungabort and Phosferine were found to be G$3500, G$ 1000 and G$3000 respectively.
The Department is advising all pharmacies to; with immediately effect, desist from the practice of purchasing and retailing medication to be used by patients from walk-in-salesmen (suitcase traders) who refuse to provide invoices or adequate receipt or other records for traceability purposes. Inspectors will continue to seize and detain items with inaccurate addresses and where the identity of the wholesaler / distributor is unknown.
A detailed statement / report will be made to the Guyana Police Force in an effort to apprehend or locate this individual to assist the Departments with its investigation. This we believe will ultimately ensure that, only safe and efficacious medications are released for sale on our local market.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in November, 2017 that SF medication distributed in low and middle income countries accounts for 10 % or 1 in 10 of all medication distributed, and cost these countries in excess of USD 30 millionannually. The cost to the local economy and the percentage of SF medication is currently unknown. The GA-FDD has been able to embark upon these activities due to increased resources and personnel (Inspectors) facilitated by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH). The GA-FDD is currently in a substantialposition to aggressively implement measures to protect consumers from the associated dangers of SF medications.
- Details of the Department’s exercise will be shared with members (Inspectors) at our upcoming Food Safety and Control Committee Meeting, who will be tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that pharmacies in other Regions outside of Georgetown are free of the identified SF medications.