FDB WARNS AGAINST FAKE SANITARY PADS (PAGE 28)

05/05/08
Story: Mary Mensah
THE Food and Drugs Board (FDB) has warned members of the public not to patronise three unregistered sanitary pads and some imitated drugs that have been circulating on the Ghanaian market.
The unregistered sanitary pads were listed as All One, Smart Lady and All Easy while the drugs were named as Theeter, Accurate, a medical device for pregnancy test, and Medical, a toothpaste.
The acting Deputy Chief Executive of the FDB, Reverend Jonathan Martey, who addressed the press in Accra at the weekend, said these products, which had not been registered with the board, bore some semblance to registered brands.
He said the three sanitary pads bore the same semblance to a registered brand on the market by name Forever Easy, whose outer package is pinkish in colour like the three imitated ones.
Rev Martey said with the drugs, Theeter, manufactured by Gracila Chemists in Kumasi, bore semblance to Theeder syrup, which is manufactured by Aryton pharmaceuticals, who had registered with the FDB and had their logo on its products.
“Though the Accurate and Medical toothpaste have been certified by the board it has been imitated with the same package but without the FDB logo on it thus making it very difficult for the public to determine the correct one,” he said.
He, therefore, advised members of the public to ensure that they checked dates of manufacture of the products, their country of origin, the FDB logo, as well as expiry dates and if in doubt contact the FDB for further clarification before purchasing the products.
He explained that before any product was authorised to be placed on the market, the said product was taken through tests to ensure its safety, quality and efficacy for the protection of public health.
Rev. Martey, however, said that the board could not guarantee the quality and safety of the named sanitary pads, since they had not been registered by the board.
He warned importers to desist from imitation of registered products because it was a criminal offence, and added that the police in conjunction with the board was doing all in its power to bring the perpetrators to book.
He also urged the public to report to the board or the police anyone found to be distributing or retailing these imitated products.
He indicated that plans were far advanced to publish the list of all registered products to enable the public to be well informed when they purchased any product.

*CAPTION* Reverend Jonathan Martey (middle) flanked by Mr Agyemang Duah, Head of Drug Inspectorate (left) and Mr James Lartey, Head of Communications (right) as he addresses the press.
PICTURE: On Odartey’s Desktop.