On 30the November 2013, the FDA of Ghana alerted the general public, particularly hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and other health facilities about the presence of a fake antimalarial medicine on the Ghanaian market – Quinine Sulphate Tablets (300mg).
The medicine in question is imported and distributed by St Kem Pharmaceuticals Ltd, whose offices are located at Patasi, Kumasi (opposite the Police Depot) and at Achimota, Accra, (1st Floor of Dokua Plaza) and has the following features:
Batch Number: 33587Q Manufacturing Date: May, 2012 Expiry Date: May, 2015 Manufactured by: Biochemie GmbH, Vienna, Austria
The product is packaged in a white plastic container, containing 1,000 tablets with the inscription ‘ESSENTIAL DRUGS PROGRAME’ and the above mentioned information on the label.
Results of laboratory analysis conducted on the product at the FDA Laboratory showed that the Quinine Sulphate Tablet contains
no active pharmaceutical ingredientmaking it a complete counterfeit/fake medicine.
Quinine Sulphate tablet is used to treat severe and complicated malaria.
A total quantity of 64 containers of 1,000 tablets each (64,000 tablets) have been seized at the Dormaa Presbyterian Hospital in the Brong Ahafo Region and St Kem Pharmaceuticals Ltd in Kumasi by FDA officials during a post market surveillance activities.