First published December 29, 1991

Drugs department gears for crackdown

THE Food and Drugs Department says that from February 3 licences for the importation of drugs will not be issued to persons not in posses­sion of the Certificate of Registration from the department.

The department which now comes under the health and environment agency GAHEF is also cautioning that importers will not be able to sell drugs without the Certifi­cate of Registration. These new regulations have been implemented to tighten up on the quality of drugs entering the country.

Dr. Chatterpaul Ramcharran head of the depart­ment is urging drug im­porters to comply with the registration requirement and uplift forms from the department’s Lyng and Evans Streets offices.

The department has in­itiated a drug quality con­trol programme and Dr.Ramcharran says this will involve the registra­tion of all drugs on the market including prescrip­tion, non-prescription and veterinary supplies. Registration of new drugs he said will demand “strict compliance” with a num­ber of requirements in­cluding need for a certifi­cate from the regulatory body in the exporting country, certificate of analysis, information on the drug and other documentation.

Dr.Ramcharran says that drugs for which no licence has been issued will be forthwith seized and con­fiscated.