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United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Ghana, a subsidiary of United States Pharmacopoeia (USP), has made a significant donation of various laboratory equipment to the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to support their work.
The donation included four primary laboratory instruments: a Gas Chromatograph coupled with a Headspace sampler (GC-HSS), High-Performance Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC), a Dissolution tester, and a Disintegration apparatus.
USP Ghana also provided the FDA lab with other essential equipment such as a Balance (Micro), Sonicator 14.4, Aspirator Pump, Zero Air Gas Generator, Nitrogen Generator, Hydrogen Generator, and Digital Thermometer.
These instruments will significantly enhance the FDA’s ability to perform a physicochemical analysis of pharmaceutical products in the Ghanaian market.
During a presentation ceremony at the USP-Ghana office in Accra, Kwasi Poku Boateng, the Director of USP Ghana and PQM Plus West Africa, expressed that USP Ghana has been providing technical assistance, interventions, training, and testing to support the pharmaceutical sector in Africa since its establishment ten years ago.
As their activities evolved, USP Ghana discontinued third-party testing and redirected its resources towards strengthening the testing capacity of organizations like the FDA and ensuring compliance with standards.
Given this shift, USP has donated the decommissioned laboratory equipment to entities like the FDA to help them improve their capacity and fulfill their mandate of ensuring the quality and safety of pharmaceutical products in Ghana.
Given their track record and dedication over the years, Mr. Boateng expressed confidence in the FDA’s ability to utilize the donated equipment effectively.
Dr. Delese Darko, the CEO of the FDA, gratefully received the equipment on behalf of the organization. She acknowledged the contribution of United States Pharmacopeia in consistently promoting drug safety and their longstanding collaboration with the FDA to maintain the highest standards in Ghana.
Dr. Darko emphasized that the donated items would strengthen the existing laboratory infrastructure and enhance drug analysis capabilities.
She expressed her gratitude to USP for their continuous support, including capacity building and training programs like PQM Plus, which has contributed significantly to producing quality malaria medicines in Ghana. She highlighted the FDA’s strong collaboration with USP and considered the donation another example of their productive partnership.
United States Pharmacopeia is a non-profit scientific organization focused on establishing standards and ensuring the quality and safety of medicines and food supplements globally. Over the past 200 years, USP has strengthened health systems by providing technical assistance, improving access to quality medicines, and protecting patients from substandard health products.
In line with their commitment to the Ghanaian pharmaceutical sector, USP collaborates with the University of Ghana Pharmacy School and the Food and Drugs Authority on areas of mutual interest, aiming to enhance pharmaceutical practices and drug safety in Ghana.
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Source: Omanghana.com
