By Ruth Yeabu Sesay
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Pharmacy Board Sierra Leone (PBSL) Fredrick V. Kanneh has assured Sierra Leoneans that the harmful cough syrup that was discovered in the Gambia is not in the country. He was reacting to news of a dangerous cough syrup which has reportedly killed 66 (sixty-six) children in the Gambia.
Speaking to Politico on the 13th of October 2022, Kanneh assured the public that none of the drugs produced by India‘s Maiden Pharmaceutical is currently being sold in the country.
“There are no importers in the country from the company, neither are there distributors from the company and the products of the company are not in Sierra Leone,” he said.
He assured the public that the board will continue their post-market surveillance activities across the country to detect and remove any harmful product from the market.
When asked about the issue of drug peddling, Kanneh told Politico that Sierra Leone has the Pharmacy and Drug Act 2001 that gives deserving people the authority to sell drugs after going through some processes, stressing that “Selling drugs without a licence is a criminal offence”.
He further said that PBSL will continue to educate the public on the dangers of buying drugs from peddlers, pointing out that those who indulge in the act of buying drugs in buses are mostly educated but chose to ignore cautions and do as they please.
The Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone in a press release dated 11th October 2022 stated that the surveillance was done after PBSL received a medical alert in September from the World Health Organization (WHO) informing them of four sub-standard products in the Gambia.
The release stated that “an unacceptable amount of Diethylene Glycol or Ethylene Glycol as a contaminant that is toxic to humans as they can cause vomiting and diarrhoea acute kidney injury, altered mental state and may lead to death when consumed”.
In addition, the institution highlighted Promethazine oral solution, kofexmalin baby cough syrup, Makoff baby cough syrup and Maxgrip cold syrup as medicines that contain an excessive amount of Diethylene Glycol or Ethylene Glycol.
The PBSL said since 2008 every syrup that enters the country goes through tests and evaluations before going into the Sierra Leonean market.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (14/10/22)
