Health office strengthens monitoring of products

Thursday, March 17, 2011

THE Department of Health (DOH) has approved the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9711 or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Act of 2009 to ensure a tougher, more robust FDA.

The IRR will strengthen FDA's technical capacity to regulate establishments and products under its jurisdiction to ensure public health and safety. FDA's post-market surveillance system will also be strengthened.

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This will allow intensified monitoring of products already released in the market to enable the FDA to quickly respond to adverse effects involving these products as per the IRR.

Aside from the establishment of a modern and complete testing laboratory facilities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, the new FDA is empowered to seize and hold in custody, without hearing or court order, food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products found violating existing rules and regulations as well as those deemed unsafe for public consumption.

The IRR also increases the penalty both for criminal and administrative sanctions. It empowers the FDA director to hold in direct or indirect contempt any person who disregards orders or writs issued, making it an effective deterrent in the commission of any prohibited acts provided by laws the FDA is tasked to enforce.

The DOH also warned the public against counterfeit drugs and vitamins or food supplements flooding the market.

It said counterfeit drugs may contain harmful ingredients or lack the necessary ingredients and have low concentration of active ingredients, which could affect its efficacy. "All drugs or medicines being sold must pass or register with the FDA. Imported medicine is also considered as counterfeit drug because it is not registered with the FDA."

The DOH assured it is continuously monitoring drugstores for possible sale of counterfeit drugs even as it warned small pharmacies and even sari-sari stores not to buy drugs from unlicensed direct sellers, who usually do their trade by using a motorcycle or a van.

"The public should buy their medicines from reputable drugstores and for pharmacies to purchase their supplies from registered or licensed dealer. Counterfeit drugs may do the patients more harm than cure them," it added. "Go for generic brands which are cheaper as effective as branded medicines. FDA registered generic drugs have the same efficacy as branded ones and had been strictly monitored and checked." (CGC)