The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has assured to seek means for scrutinizing products being advertised on social media without the authority’s approval.
The move is to ensure that fake products with medical-related complications are controlled on the market.
This was disclosed by the Head of Herbal and Homeopathic Medicines Registration Department of the FDA, Mr. Ernest Afesey, during a Zoom interview with the Max Morning show in Accra on Wednesday.
He stated that the action that the authority would embark on would boost the confidence of users, knowing the products had passed through rigorous tests and would pose no dire complications for their health.
“We are trying as much as possible that even on social media, people who put an advertisement there which has not gone through any scrutiny, there’s a way that we have to find and bring that under control. So that we know that whatever people are looking out for when they find it, the FDA registration number is on it. They will become confident that when they take that product it will do exactly what it is intended for,” Afesey added.
He also reiterated calls on media houses to cross-check products to see if they are vetted and certified by the authority before advertising them to ensure the public does not buy products that could have a damaging effect on their health.
“There’s a procedure for an advert: Anyone who wants to advertise his or her product should apply to FDA so that the advert committee looks at the product and whatever claim they are making in the advert to be very sure that the uses of the product matches the communication claims in the advert,” Afesey stated.
In order to get rid of products that were already on the market and pose death threats after consumption, he charged Ghanaians to lodge a complaint with the FDA for the safety monitoring department to pick up the product, investigate it, and take the necessary steps against the product manufacturers.
“So once we are able to do this, we are very sure that our public health and safety will be assured,” he assured.
Source: Ghana/MaxTV/MaxFM/max.com.gh/Joyceline Natally Cudjoe
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