Ghanaian surveillance programme uncovers fake antimalarials

Substandard and counterfeit versions of 13 antimalarial medicines have been discovered in multiple locations across Ghana by the country's Medicines Quality Monitoring surveillance programme.

The discovery of the counterfeits at a government-run hospital and private clinic - and being distributed through many pharmacies - has resulted in a nationwide recall of all 13 drugs, according to a statement issued by the US Pharmacopoeial Convention (USP), which helped Ghana's Food and Drug Board (FDB) set up the monitoring programme in 2008 along with the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The FDB has also publicised the names of the outlets where the counterfeits were found in the hope that this will encourage pharmacy and hospital procurement personnel to be "more vigilant about their suppliers," said the USP.

Manufacturers of some of the recalled medications will also be required to meet with the FDB for required regulatory sanctions.

"Few people fully realise the devastation that distribution of substandard or counterfeit medications can wreak on vulnerable populations," said Dr. Stephen Opuni, the FDB's chief executive.

"In this case some of the drugs discovered contained no active pharmaceutical ingredient, while others failed to meet required quality standards," added Opuni. "This causes great harm in two ways: the individual patients taking the drugs get no relief, and drug-resistant strains of malaria may grow stronger."
 
In 2009 the MQM program uncovered a counterfeit version of Novartis' artemisinin-based antimalarial Coartem after an alert citizen notified the authorities of a suspected fake product.

Patrick Lukulay, director of USP’s Promoting the Quality of Medicines (PQM) initiative, said: "The fact that the fake and poor quality drugs were so widespread - found in many areas across Ghana, and in many types of outlet - underscores the need not only for continuing surveillance but also for active enforcement of anti-counterfeiting laws."

 
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