“Substandard Drugs Inducing New Diseases”

…LMHRA Boss Alarms

The Managing Director of the Liberia Medicine and Health Regulatory Authority (LMHRA) has alarmed that the influx of substandard drugs is inducing new diseases in the country.

LMHRA was established in 2010 by an Act of legislation. LMHRA is responsible to regulate the sales of drugs in Liberia.

Speaking to reporters at the start of a two-day validation forum on Monday, October 29, 2018 in Paynesville outside Monrovia, Pharmacist David Sumo said there is an urgent need to develop a framework that will control the sales and provision of health services.

Sumo said the two-day gathering of stakeholders from the LMHRA and the health sector is geared towards instituting proper measures on the control of medicines and provision of health services that is internationally acceptable.

“For us, at the LMHRA, we look at the safety of medicine. The sale of medicine is a public health issue and this is why we are concerned,” said Sumo.

He said while the LMHRA remains committed, the entity is faced with numerous difficulties in the execution of its assigned duties.

According to him, the lack of tracking system to detect possible illegal research using biological samples is one of the key challenges confronting the LMHRA.

“Another major challenge we are faced with is the lack of regulations on samples transferred out of the country. There is also limited monitoring of quality services,” the LMHRA boss furthered.

He said due to these challenges, there is a pressing need to develop a regulatory platform to overcome them (challenges).

“We need to keep doing research so that we can better prepare ourselves for those challenges. Absolutely, there is a need to monitor the safety of medicine. Be it donated or purchased, once it is used for consumption, it must be monitored, and this is why we have gathered here today and up to tomorrow,” he asserted.

Alphonso Toweh

Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets  including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and  did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters 
 He holds first  MA with honors in International  Relations and a  candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict  Resolution from the University of Liberia.