The increasing activity of unauthorised hawking and peddling of pharmaceutical products on the streets of Accra has become alarming, with health authorities warning of serious risks to public health and safety.
Apart from the fact that most of these products are exposed directly to sunlight, their sources are also uncertain, thereby exposing consumers to a range of health risks.
The situation has become a major concern because, in the past, these peddlers limited their operations to moving from one commercial vehicle to another.
However, in recent times, their activities have expanded, engulfing busy markets across the capital.
Of particular concern is the fact that migrant workers from neighbouring West African countries such as Mali, Niger and Chad have also joined the trade, peddling drugs (medications) whose manufacturing origins and efficacy cannot be verified.
The peddlers sell a range of medicines, including malaria drugs, painkillers, aphrodisiacs, ointments and blood tonics, without proper storage or regulatory oversight.
At Kwame Nkrumah Circle, it is now a common sight to see these peddlers carrying assorted medicines in plain plastic bags, calling out to attract buyers.
Similar scenes are also observed in the Central Business District, lorry stations and other busy commercial areas.
Despite the risks posed by these unregulated medicines, many people especially traders continue to patronise them due to convenience and lower prices.
A tomato seller at Kaneshie Market, Agnes Mensah, said she occasionally buys medicines from hawkers because they are easily accessible.
“Sometimes you cannot leave your shop to go to the pharmacy. They come to us, and the drugs are cheaper,” she said.
Similarly, a second-hand clothes trader at Circle, Ibrahim Sulemana, cited time constraints as his reason for patronising such peddlers.
“When you feel unwell, you just buy something small and continue working. Going to the hospital can take the whole day,” he noted.
In contrast, a provisions shop owner, Grace Ofori, said she avoids such practices due to safety concerns.
“You cannot be sure how the drugs are stored or whether they are genuine. I prefer to buy from a licensed pharmacy where I know it is safe,” she said.
An interaction between some medicine peddlers around the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange and The Ghanaian Times has revealed issues of poor storage and handling of medicines, as well as a failure to check expiry dates, posing a health risk to consumers.
The Ghanaian Times reporters went undercover to the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange yesterday to patronise some medications from the peddlers.
The reporters complained of severe headache to one of the peddlers who quickly sold Eskadol for him to take.
When asked where he sourced the medicines from, he mentioned pharmacy stores around Okaishie Drug Lane within the Central Business District (CBD) in Accra as the source.
However, the peddlers failed to clarify whether the drug stores from which they purchased the pharmaceutical products were licensed or unlicensed.
They also failed to ask the reporters, who posed as individuals suffering from severe headaches, relevant questions such as how long the condition had persisted or whether they had seen a doctor for a prescription.
One of the peddlers told reporters that they did not have a specific place for storing the medicines they sold, as some kept them in areas exposed to high temperatures.
Additionally, they indicated that most of them did not belong to any association or union and were even willing to introduce anyone interested into the medicine peddling business.
Meanwhile, the Pharmacy Council of Ghana has warned that the practice poses a serious threat to public health.
In an exclusive interview with The Ghanaian Times, the Acting Registrar, Michael Kudebong, urged the public to desist from purchasing medicines from unauthorised sellers and instead patronise licensed pharmacies and over-the-counter medicine outlets.
He explained that the pharmaceutical sector is regulated under the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857) and the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), which mandate the Pharmacy Council and the Food and Drugs Authority to ensure medicines are safe and properly dispensed.
Mr Kudebong noted that peddlers operate outside these regulatory controls, exposing medicines to excessive heat and sunlight, which can lead to chemical degradation and reduced potency.
He warned that medicines such as insulin, nitroglycerine and liquid antibiotics are particularly vulnerable and may fail during critical moments.
He added that the use of degraded medicines could result in treatment failure, toxicity, misdiagnosis and antimicrobial resistance.
Mr Kudebong said the Pharmacy Council and the Food and Drugs Authority are intensifying joint inspections to clamp down on illegal drug sales, but noted that the mobile nature of peddlers continues to hinder enforcement.
He cautioned that offenders risk severe sanctions, including seizure of products, fines and possible imprisonment under the law.
BY STEPHANIE BIRIKORANG
