Illegal Grand-Pa resurfaces
The public, health care practitioners, importers and distributers have been urged to regard any Grand-Pa products circulating in the country as unregistered and illegal.
Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority (BoMRA) reiterated the ban of last week following resurfacing sales of Grand-pa products. PR Officer at BoMRA, Israel Kgosidiile told Sun Health that all Grand-Pa pain relief products including powder and tablets are not allowed in Botswana, however, recently they have realised that some people are illegally trafficking the product into the country. Their recent raids in Gaborone yielded culprits, some of whom will be prosecuted. Kgosidiile further cautions members of the public that the the product purported to be Grand-Pa could endanger their lives. The suspension of the product follows a decision by the Market Authorization Holder, GlaxoSmithKline CH South Africa to temporarily halt the supply of these products to Botswana and other markets.
“We regard them to be counterfeit, substandard or falsified and therefore may not be safe for human consumption,” explains Kgosidiile. He further explains that the Medicines and Related Substances Act, 2013, Section 23, prohibits importation, distribution, sale, storage, advertising of unregistered medical products and that any person found guilty of breaching
Section 23 may be liable to a fine of up to P100 000 and or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 10 years.
“As BoMRA we will continue working with key partners to make sure that effective measures are taken to prevent the illegal sale of these products that is largely carried out by some street vendors,” he says adding that they often do checks around the community to find out if people are not exposed to products that may be sub-standard for their consumption.
“We often advise not to buy or consume unregistered medical products including Grand-Pa products because of safety concerns, instead, they are advised to consult a doctor or pharmacist for alternative medicines available,” he said.