The Food and Drugs Authority in the Northern region is alarmed at the large quantity of expired drugs that were still kept at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, describing the development as unacceptable.
The facility for the first time in 10 years on Friday, September 15, 2017 disposed of nearly GH¢400,000.00 worth of expired drugs since its upgrade in 2009.
Dozens of the expired products were hauled out in boxes from an overcrowded mini store in the hospital under the watch of two policemen and officials from the FDA.
Officials said they had hectic moment taking inventory due to the huge quantity of the spoilt drugs locked up in the store shared by officials of the oxygen unit as office.
Several trucks loaded the expired drugs and were escorted out to a destination where they were destroyed and burnt under the supervision of the FDA.
Some of the drugs which the facility disposed included large number of anesthesia drugs which stirred controversy after some nurses refused anesthesia services claiming authorities had supply them with expired anesthesia drugs. The hospital authorities then under Mr. Prosper Akanbong denied the claims despite documental proof available at the time.
The Northern regional boss of the FDA Mr. Martin Kusi expressed concern and said expired drugs must always be disposed periodically. He said henceforth the Tamale Teaching hospital would be closely monitored to ensure the facility is rid of expired medicines.
“Since 2009 they have not done any safe disposal that is why we have these large quantities of products being disposed of as at this time. At least, every year they are supposed to do safe disposal. What we have to do is that, every now and then we have to monitor them to make sure that every expired product is safely disposed of periodically”, the FDA chief said.
He cautions that “as early as possible every hospital or health facility is supposed to dispose of its expired products at least once every year, if that is done we will not have these huge quantities of product being dispose of as we see today. So what I will entreat all health facilities to do is that, as early as possible or periodically, at least every year at least there should be once safe disposal of expired or unwholesome products”.
