The Food and Drugs Authority has cautioned the general public to desist from patronising herbal medicines in commercial vehicles.
According to the FDA, the risk associated with the consumption of such products are higher and untraceable after use since majority of the products are not registered.
The head of Herbal Medicines Department of the FDA, Emmanuel Yaw Kwarteng said:''We are urging the public not to patronize these products because the risk is very high if you patronize such a product and you have a complaint you wouldn't know where to go . Medicines are designed such that the way you handle it affects its quality and so you look at the label and it tells you how to store it. Some are stored in refrigerators, dry cool places depending on the nature of the medicine, herbal medicine inclusive.
''So if you carry it on your head in a moving vehicle it is not the right thing. The premises for selling herbal medicines are regulated in Ghana by the pharmacy council, Food and Drugs Authority. The reason being that the atmosphere where you keep your medicine must be optimum so that your medicine will maintain its quality''.Â
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Chief Executive for Chamber of Pharmacy Ghana Anthony Kwakye challenged the FDA's statement on herbal medicine, saying that the high numbers of unregistered medicines will reduce if the FDA reduces the high fees charged in the registration of new products.
Mr Kwakye said:''We have 1,200 products registered of in the whole country, a serious situation and its the main reason why we are advocating for the reduction in the fees charges by the FDA so that lot more companies will be able to register their products.W e are advocating for the review of the fee and we want this to be implemented at least within the first quarter of 2019''.Â
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