Stop advertising ‘fake’ products; you will be sanctioned – FDA warns

The Food and Drugs Authority has warned all social media marketing agencies advertising the sale of unregistered medical devices, food and products to desist from the practice or risk sanctions.

According to the FDA, such practices are in contravention to the Public Health Act 2012 (Acts 851) which empowers the FDA to test and approve drug, food, medical devices, household chemicals, tobacco products among others.

Speaking at a capacity building workshop organised by the FDA in Cape Coast, the Head of Medical Devices Department at the FDA, Joseph Yaw-Bernie Bernie explained that medical devices play a critical role in quality health care delivery hence the need for their regulation.

He stressed, “A person shall not advertise a drug, herbal medicinal product, cosmetic, medical device of household chemical to the general public as a treatment, preventive or cure for a disease, disorder or an abnormal physical state unless the advertisement has been approved by the authority.”

He added individuals or entities who flout the laws could suffer ‘a summary conviction and/or a fine of not less than 7,500 penalty units or pay administrative fines between GH₵ 25,000 and GH₵50,000 as per LI 2228 (2016).

Mr. Bernie entreated management of various public and private health facilities to discard all defective medical devices to safeguard public health and safety and reiterated the need to prioritize the registration of medical devices and equipment.

He assured the public the FDA has intensified its post-market surveillance exercise and encouraged the public to provide information on activities that are likely to compromise public health and safety.