Director of the Government’s Food and Drug Department Marlon Cole says that the unit is cognizant of the fact that there are millions of dollars’ worth of fake drugs in Guyana. Here are the details from Javone
According to a Study by World Health Organization, 1 in 10 or 10.5 percent of medical products sampled was Substandard or fake and given the estimated market value of US$300 billion in middle and low-income countries, it equates to over US$30 billion in cost to these countries. Director of the Government Analysis – Food and Drugs Department Marlon Cole in an interview with Nightly News revealed that there are in fact importers who source substandard drugs. Mr. Cole stated that the importation of these drugs with falsified labeling has been arriving in Guyana for years, but enforcement has diverted many attempts by those who use mostly the internet.
The Director stated that the magnitude of this problem in Guyana is currently unknown; however, this exposure and alliance will allow the department to double their efforts to prevent, detect and respond to Substandard and falsified medical products in Guyana’s health-care system.
He stated that the first line of defence against SF medical products is enshrined in the Food and Drug Act, Chapter 34:04 and its accompanying regulations, particularly Regulation 78, whereby registration and authorization of drugs are required based on the reliance (full assessment) for efficacy, quality, and safety
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