Deputy Director in Charge of Operations at the Pharmacy Council, Dr. Daniel Amaning Danquah has asserted that the war on fake drugs is very dear to them as the sale of these drugs brings disrepute to the profession.
With fake drugs not achieving the intended purpose; exposing patients to untold risks and defeating the entire idea of the pharmacy practice, “the fight on fake drugs is very important to us”, he admitted.
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“All we do and our safety when we are ill depends on the kind of drugs we use and this is really important to us. Curbing the incidence of the sale of fake drugs has to do with training and enforcement. We need to put in place airtight laws if we are to win the fight”, Dr. Amaning Danquah shared.
On his accord some persons can pose as pharmacists to engage in this unethical practice. “When you go to the pharmacy or over the counter drug store, how do you know the person attending to you is a Pharmacist, Pharmacy Technician or Support staff? You can’t even tell the difference”, he acknowledged.
Sharing measures to remove any confusion and save Ghanaians from purchasing fake drugs or any drug that can cause them harm, Dr. Amaning Danquah told Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show, “We are putting in place laws that will ensure that anyone behind the counter at a pharmacy is the appropriate person and we will make sure they have the visible evidence to back their claims”.
He disclosed the law will see to it that any member of the Council will be in the appropriate uniform (coat) and has a name tag pinned to their chest. “This way when you come to the pharmacy to get drugs, you identify who you are dealing with and know if they are the right people to buy from or not”.
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According to Dr. Amaning Danquah the Council will educate the public on all these so they are protected.
Ghana has no national data on the number of fake drugs in circulation in the country. The World Health Organization (WHO), however, estimates that 30 percent of all drugs on the Ghanaian market could be fake.