Pharmacists must help banish fake drugs -Public Health Minister

Dr. Karishma Jeeboo (right) receiving her award from GPA’s President Rosana Narine. (Ministry of Public Health photo)
Dr. Karishma Jeeboo (right) receiving her award from GPA’s President Rosana Narine. (Ministry of Public Health photo)

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence on Sunday called on recently qualified pharmacists to join the government in the battle to remove fake drugs from the local market.

Speaking at the 18th Annual Pharmacy Convention held  at the Pegasus Hotel Guyana, Kingston, Lawrence told the audience that phoney drugs, medicines and pharmaceuticals comprise some 10 percent of exports to the sub-sector in low and middle-income countries, a release yesterday from the Ministry of Public Health said.

She reiterated the need for greater ‘pharmacovigilance’ among local healthcare practitioners to help spot and remove the fake items from the supply chain of the local market.

“Failure to do so will compromise your integrity and defeat your purpose as medicines experts. Keep your ears attuned to complaints of medication not working effectively, presentation of adverse effects, investigate and help monitor the performance of drugs. Verify if the certificates of authorisation are in place. Give support to the GA-FDD” (Government Analyst-Food and Drugs Department), she implored.

She disclosed that the GA-FDD in collaboration with the Regional Medicine Surveillance Department in Jamaica will conduct a survey of Guyana’s medical industry in a drive  to crack down on pharmaceutical fraud.

“You as medicine experts are cognisant of the risks and dangers to health with the use of substandard and falsified drugs which continue to find their way into the local markets. You know how detrimental to health these are and the threat it poses to healthcare delivery. Use your expertise to impact positively, so that the abuse of medicines and drugs can be kept at a minimum and our citizens can be protected from the use of falsified medication. The whole question of fake medicines is not only a global/regional issue but one that is right in our backyard”, Lawrence declared.

 “The patients’ expectation of you as a pharmacist expands far beyond the product-oriented functions of distributing and dispensing medicines and health supplies. You are considered and seen as the main care-provider, as a counsellor, as an adviser, depending on the scenario”, Lawrence added, according to the release.

Guyana Pharmacists Association (GPA),  President, Rosana Narine, told participants of their key role in providing health and pharmaceutical care.

“Pharmacist are experts in medicines and use their clinical expertise, together with formulation, quality-control, practical knowledge, to ensure the safe supply and use of medicines by the public”, Narine said.

Dr. Karishma Jeeboo, who recently graduated as a doctor of pharmacy from the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Canada, received the GPA Special Recognition Award while Carl Bacchus was bestowed the Caribbean Association of Pharmacists Life Member-ship Award.

The release said that the 18th Annual Pharmacy Convention was held under the theme ‘Pharmacist: Your Medicines Experts, Bridging the Gap for Quality Health Care’.

It drew some 200 participants representing the private and public sector pharmacies, University of Guyana students and the Ministry of Public Health.