FDA alerts public of fake malaria drugs

The Food and Drugs Authority is alerting Ghanaians to be on the lookout for some fake Coartem tablet.

Coartem is one of the most popular drugs prescribed by doctors for malaria patients but a statement signed by the FDA stated that the drug is already in circulation.

Below is the full statement by the FDA

Alert: Fake Coartem Tablets

The Food and Drugs Authority wishes to alert the general public of fake Coartem tablets in circulation in some Western and Central African countries.

The details of the fake batches of Coartem tablets are as follows;

Batch Number : F1901, Expiry Date : 01.2114, Manufacturing date: 01.2012

The packaging is in English and bears a falsified stamp of the Nigerian National Medicines Regulatory Agency, NAFDAC

Batch Number : F2261, Expiry Date : 01.2014, Manufacturing Date : 01.2012

The packaging is in English and bears the falsified green leaf logo of the Affordable Medicine Facility – Malaria (AMFm) programme.

This alert was received from the World Health Organisation (WHO) information exchange system.

An ongoing post market surveillance activity nationwide by the FDA has not as yet detected the presence of the said Coartem Tablets on the Ghanaian market.

Coartem is a registered anti-malarial medicine manufactured by Novartis.

The general public, especially importers, distributors and retailers of pharmaceutical products are to take note of the aforementioned batches of Coartem tablets and avoid patronizing or stocking them.

Any individual or facility having in possession the aforementioned batches should hand them over to the nearest FDA office.

Furthermore, the general public is being assured of FDA’s readiness to ensure public health and safety at all times and, therefore, appeals to the general public to give any information on persons suspected to be in any practice possible of endangering public health and safety through any of the following contacts : 0244337235,0208204968 or 0246809509.