Jagdeo says ‘strong enforcement’ needed to stamp out sale of fake drugs, expired goods

Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday lamented the amount of fake medical supplies and drugs, and expired goods imported and distributed locally.

To curb this issue, he said there should be much stronger enforcement efforts from the Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD).

“They (the GA-FDD) really need to step up on this… this is a department that needs to do much more work.

“Some of them- illegally, criminally- change the expiration dates. They need to take strong enforcement action. We need to do much more work in this regard,” Jagdeo told reporters at his weekly press conference.

The food and drug department, from time to time, issues notices about goods that have been recalled. Last year, it also issued a notice, alerting persons to the circulation of a fake diabetes and weight loss drug known as Ozempic.

Jagdeo said importers and distributors must be sanctioned because persons can be “immeasurably and irreparably” harmed by the use of such goods.