The Liberia’s Medicines and Health Products Regulatory (LMHRA) has declared a robust war on substandard and falsified medicines with a mandate to ensure zero-drug peddling across Liberia this 2023, and going forward as part of its new campaign, dubbed: “Fighting the Fake.”
In fulfillment of such mandate, on February 3 and 9, 2023, the Department of Inspection and Post Market Surveillance led a high-power team in the commercial hub of Red-light, Paynesville City raided and confiscated drug peddlers involved with the sale of substandard and falsified medicines on the Liberian market.
Part of the LMHRA’s mandate area, is to ensure that only safe, quality and efficacious medicines and health products are sold in the country and under the rightful conditions.
With a mandate from the Managing Director, Pharmacist Keturah C. Smith-Chineh; aimed at ensuring the markets of Liberia are cleared of all substandard and falsified medicines and health products; LMHRA Inspector General Pharmacist Teedoh E. Beyslow Sr., led a high power team from the authority, assisted by state securities of the Liberia National Police Emergency Response and Police Support Units, in the commercial district of Red-light to sweep the market of substandard and falsified medicines.
The two days exercise, was conducted in the full glare of independent journalists from the state-broadcaster (ELBC/LNTV) and Kreative Media Television (KMTV) and the Communication Unit of the LMHRA.
“The LMHRA will ensure that only safe, quality and efficacious medicines are sold in Liberia and under the rightful conditions and temperature,” Inspector General Beyslow vowed.
According to him, this 2023 and beyond, the LMHRA will ensure that all medicines and health products in circulation, imported and sold on the market, are done under the right conditions as prescribed by the authority’s regulations.
The commercial district of Redlight in Paynesville is one of the hotspots for the sale of substandard and falsified medicines due to the huge commercial activities that takes place there, due to the fact that people from leeward counties across Liberia often converged in that locality to sell their farms produce and as well purchase their essential necessities, to include pharmaceuticals.
Hence, to ensure that the citizens who are regular attendants of the Redlight and other surrounding markets, are not medically affected as a result of the proliferation of these substandard and falsified medicines sold by these drug peddlers, the LMHRA has and continued to carry on routine unannounced raids and confiscations of unwanted medications from the market.
The management of LMHRA, as part of its 2023 plans, have disclosed that the entity will routinely visit every nuke and cranny of Liberia, making sure that drug peddlers are raided and the issue of substandard and falsified medicines are alleviated from the society.
“Even with the limited logistics and manpower, the LMHRA is very prepared and energized to ensure that substandard and falsified medicines are cleared off our market. Therefore, as part of our “Fighting the Fake Campaign,” we kindly encourage our citizens to stop buying medicines from the buckets, back-bags and market table,” Pharmacist Beyslow told journalists during the raid.
He added: “the medicines sold by these people in buckets, on the market tables, in their back-packs, are not safe, because they are not kept under the right temperature, they are not sold under the right conditions, in case of any health complications, they cannot be traced, so we are encouraging our citizens to stop buying from these people. If the citizens’ stop buying from these buckets, market tables, those involved with the sales of these substandard and falsified medicines will be discouraged.”
Inspector General Beyslow, however encouraged the citizenry to purchase their medications from registered pharmacies and medicines stores, as these facilities are registered by the LMHRA and the Liberian Pharmacy Board; and in case of any adverse events or reactions, those facilities can be traced, unlike the drug peddlers who are parading the streets and market places.
On February 3, 2023 a team of LMHRA employees along with independent journalists, state security officers was led by Inspector General Beyslow, the Manager for Post Market Surveillance, Pharmacist Paul D.Y. Higgins, Manager for Port Services, Pharmacist Dr. Akoi Bazzie , LMHRA Regional Coordinator, Pharmacist Dr. Flomo Kwakpeh Dolo, and staff of LMHRA Region-2, an array of intelligent officers.
On February 9, the team was headed by the Manager for Post Market Surveillance, Pharmacist Paul D.Y. Higgins, Pharmacist Akoi Bazzie Manager for Port Services, and LMHRA Region-3 Coordinator, Pharmacist Morrison A. Tamba, LMHRA’s intelligent officers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines substandard and falsified medicines as: “pharmaceutical products that do not meet their quality standards and specifications.”
The Liberia Medicines & Health Products Regulatory Authority is the statutory arm of the Government of Liberia with responsibility to ensure that all medicines and health products circulating the borders of Liberia are safe, of quality and efficacious.
