Post Marketing Surveillance for Antimalarials and Maternal and Child Health Medicines

A post marketing surveillance of antimalarial and Maternal and Child Health medicines conducted by the FDA with support from USAID shows that Oxytocin, a medication used to prevent excessive bleeding by women during childbirth failed to meet the quality assurance test on the market.

The inspection conducted between March and September 2023 also showed that a number of Antimalaria drugs on the market met the quality assurance standards. The rate of failure for Oxytocin was 65 percent, while Antimalarials were 4.6percent.

Promoting the Quality of Medicines Plus, is a USAID funded program that aims to sustainably strengthen quality assurance and quality control capabilities of regulatory authorities and pharmaceutical manufacturers especially in low- and middle-income countries.

PQM+ shares scientific expertise and provides technical support to help create resilient and robust local health systems that address diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases.

The Post Marketing Surveillance, exercise was conducted using a risk-based approach. Regions selected for the exercise are the Upper East, Upper West, Greater Accra, Central, Western, Ashanti, and Volta regions.

At a result dissemination forum, the Director of United States Pharmacopeial convention, USP Ghana and PQM+ West Africa, Mr. Kwasi Poku Boateng said quality medicines are essential and part of the universal health coverage.

The Chief Regulatory Officer at the FDA, Madam Jennifer Bonnah was worried that essential medicines for maternal and child health did not meet the quality assurance standards.

The African Union Commission Health Desk Officer at the Ministry of Health, Mr. Festus Korang, said plans to implement the Pharmaceutical Traceability Strategy, will allow the health Ministry to focus on areas that have been overlooked.