Twenty-one drug sellers in the Ashanti region have been referred to the Pharmacy Council for the necessary action to be taken against them for stocking and selling high doses of tramadol.

This was after the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) had undertaken market surveillance at 84 shops comprising 50 over-the-counter chemical shops and 34 pharmacy shops within the region, Mrs Nora Narkie Terlabi, the Ashanti Regional head of the FDA told Adehye FM's Elisha Adarkwah.

At the over-the-counter chemical shops, she said 21 of them had stocked and sold tramadol even though the regulation governing their operations does not permit them to sell controlled prescription medicines.

She said some of the pharmacy shops also sold the drugs without prescription forms.

"Tramadol is prescription only and so and again, a couple of pharmacy shops that we visited, we were able to buy tramadol without a prescription, and so, we've given all the information to the Pharmacy Council for further action," she said.

"Tramadol was found to be available on the open market and could be purchased with ease. Though the FDA has registered only 50mg and 100mg dosage, the investigation revealed that, there were 120mg and 225 mg dosages available within the region and this is of concern," she stated.

Mrs Terlabi added that: "We have also found out that there are these young men who are walking through town with plastic baskets with various medicines including tramadol, and so, that had made the medicines which is controlled and supposed to be prescription only available to the general populace especially the youth and this is destroying our youth and we are cautioning the perpetrators that the Food and Drugs Authority is on their heels. We are looking for them and we are sure we would find them and we advise that if you're in such a business, we kindly ask you to halt it now...."

She subsequently advised the general public to stop patronising tramadol from unapproved sources and without prescription from qualified health personnel.

She enumerated impotence, infertility and other sexual problems as consequence of Tramadol abuse.