Sierra Leone: Pharmacy Board calls for collaboration against counterfeit drugs

The head of the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone (PBSL) has called for collaboration with security institutions to counter the growing phenomenon of counterfeit drug sales.

Wilshire Johnson, Registrar of the PBSL, said Monday although Sierra Leone ranks among the least affected in terms of the illegal drug sales which is thought to be high in Africa, the problem remains a major obstacle to ensuring a sanitized health system

“Smuggling is a challenge and we must bring other stakeholders on board to fight. We need the police, the customs, the consumer protection, and Sierra Leoneans themselves,” Johnson said, urging the ordinary citizen to “make sacrifices if we want to be cured.”

According to the pharmacy Board, Sierra Leone only has 5 percent of counterfeit drugs in circulation. Johnson attributes this to high degree of self medication which he said was driving drug peddling.

The Pharmacy Board last week inaugurated a new office building which houses a new, extended state of the earth laboratory that officials hope lead to its certification to test drugs at international standard. The building cost the government Le1.2 billion (US$250, 000). 

Johnson said with the new facility the private sector can be encouraged to invest in the pharmaceutical industry with the knowledge that they have the capacity to test.

“So, this new laboratory will give us additional strength to eliminate that 5 percent [illegal drug sale] we suspect,” said Johnson.

The Pharmacy board is also reviewing its current legislation with the view to toughing penalties against drug peddlers.

[First published on www.apanews.net]