Currently FDA has become the only food and drugs regulatory agency within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sub-region to be recognised internationally as a competent institution to test medicines and medical products under WHO auspices.

This was disclosed in a press statement, signed in Accra by the Director, Centre for Laboratory Service and Research, Mr Karikari Boateng and copied the Ghanaian Times yesterday.

According to the release, FDA’s laboratory has become a key international player in the testing and verifying of Finished Pharmaceutical Products (FPP) to ensure international standards of safety, quality, and efficacy.

“The results of medicines tested by the FDA would henceforth become acceptable to all countries and will therefore require all the necessary support to maintain this new status,” it read.

Additionally, it said FDA could be invited to participate in WHO prequalification monitoring projects that were undertaken periodically to assess the quality of medicines procured by United Nations (UN) agencies.

“With this accomplishment by the FDA’s laboratory as the only WHO-prequalified laboratory in the ECOWAS sub region, the authority is in readiness and poised to provide effective regulation to support the national vaccine manufacturing agenda, and ensure access to quality, safe and efficacious vaccines and medicines for the nation and the African Continent,” it stated.

The benefits of the new status of the FDA included, the laboratory would serve as a Regional Centre of Excellence and train other National Drug Regulatory Agencies in the sub region.

Again, the FDA would fully participate in international tenders to analyse products that were to be procured by UN agencies, such as UNICEF and the Global Fund and finally the Certificate of Analysis for locally manufactured medicines in Ghana would receive International Recognition.