The country’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has destroyed some expired drugs stored in the warehouse of the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH).
The drugs worth over GHS400, 000 are said to have been in stores as far back as 2009, posed a major challenge to the storekeepers at the hospital who continually had to improvise to creating space for new drugs needed by patients at the health facility.
The action took place during a two day exercise by the FDA in collaboration with the internal audit unit of the hospital, to ensure the security of patients at the TTH as they seek medical services.
Northern Regional Director of the FDA, Martin Kusi, disclosed that the agency had found quite a number of expired drugs at the hospital during earlier investigations and subsequently made arrangements for their safe disposal.
He said the authority embarked on the investigations after, “the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the hospital, Dr Prosper Akambong, wrote to the FDA on May, 18, 2017 to take inventory of those expired medicines at the facility and ensure the safe disposal of the expired and unwholesome medicines at their warehouse to get those drugs destroyedâ€.
The FDA’s Regional Director reiterated the commitment of the food and drug regulator to collaborate with hospitals in the region to ensure that only the best quality drugs are administered to the patients across the Northern Region.