Pharmacy and Medicines Regulatory Authority (PMRA) and police have pounced on a Central Medical Stores Trust (CMST) supplier First Mark Suppliers for allegedly tampering with expiry dates of medical products.

First Mark Suppliers is also suspected of keeping medical supplies in unlicensed premises and dealing in medical suppliers without appropriate licences.

Josiah: Investigations on the matter
are still ongoing

In a written response to our questionnaire, PMRA spokesperson Joseph Josiah confirmed that following a tip-off, the authority alongside police have seized about 283 boxes of disposable sterile medical protective clothing (coveralls) on suspicion that expiry dates were tampered with.

He said: “Investigations on the matter are still on going and once completed, the matter will be taken to court for prosecution where the firm will have to answer charges of (1) tampering with expiry dates of products contrary to Section 106 of the PMRA Act, (2) keeping medical supplies on unlicensed premises contrary to sections 86 and 95(1b) of the Act and (3) dealing in medical supplies without appropriate pharmaceutical license contrary to Section 56 of the PMRA Act 2019.”

Josiah, who indicated that such cases are not common, said the authority remains steadfast to provide continuous assurance of the safety of all pharmaceuticals used in Malawi.

He said: “Expiry dates assigned to sterile sundries such as theatre gowns and gloves are an assurance that the product shall remain sterile if stored under the stipulated storage conditions in their original packages.

“ T h e r e f o r e , a n y interference with the product package will not only affect the sterility of the product but also introduce microorganisms to sterile operations like surgeries in the theatres, which may cause serious consequences.”

Josiah said this is the third reported case in recent months.

In a separate interview, N a t i o n a l Po l i c e spokesperson Peter Kalaya also confirmed that their joint operation in Lilongwe allegedly caught First Mark Suppliers red-handed changing expiry dates on medical products and that the company’s owner, Farazi Abubar, 28, was arrested and awaits court appearance.

“When officers ambushed his premises in Area 3, Lilongwe, they found his employees changing stickers with expiry dates of 21/06/23 with another bearing expiry date of 21/06/24. The suspect is currently on remand at Maula and will appear in court soon,” he said.

An inside source indicated that First Mark has a running contract to supply disposable sterile medical protective clothing to CMST.

CMST was yet to respond to our questionnaire by press time at 9pm yesterday.

Under the PMRA Act, tempering with or falsifying medicine and allied substance labels attracts up to K10 million fine and 10 years imprisonment.

The post Firm under probeover expiry dates first appeared on The Nation Online.