Mr. Abu Sumaila, Western Regional Officer of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), on Friday called on pharmaceutical distributors to assist weed out counterfeit drugs from the market.

He made the call at a conference organized by the Ayrton Drug Manufacturing Limited for the distributors of its products in the Western and Central Regions at Takoradi.

Mr. Sumaila said counterfeit drugs and medical products put people’s health and lives at risk, and that, they are a major obstacle to improving the health of the people.

He said counterfeit drugs are a threat to the people and increase the health budget of the country.

Mr. Sumaila said combating counterfeit drugs is a shared responsibility involving the private sector, consumers and the government.

He, therefore, urged pharmaceutical distributors to be careful about the drugs they distribute.

Miss Monica Esi Adukpo, Marketing Manager of the company, said the company, which is a wholly Ghanaian pharmaceutical establishment has entered into a partnership with Adcock Ingram, a South African company.

She said Ayrton Manufacturing Limited would continue to be a Ghanaian company under the merger which is primarily aimed at sharing expertise.

Miss Adukpo said the conference was to unearth the challenges facing distributors of its products and find solutions to them.

The company presented awards to some of its leading distributors in the Western and Central Regions at the conference.