Test medicine: Doctors

National

By REBECCA KUKU
MEDICINE and pharmaceutical drugs coming into the country have not been tested since 2011, according to the National Doctors Association (NDA).
Association president Dr James Naipo appeared before the Public Accounts Committee conducting the inquiry into the procurement, supply and distribution of medicines in PNG.
He said although the Health Department had built a testing facility at Gordon in Port Moresby, the laboratory “is still incomplete”.
“The country needs to have two testing facilities to test all medicines and pharmaceutical drugs,” he said.
“One can be done by the Department of Health and the other can be done by an independent body. And these tests must be done throughout the country.”
Association secretary Dr Sam Yockopua told the committee that although they did not have any real “evidence”, doctors had experienced cases “where medicine prescribed for certain things did not work”.
“In some cases, we had to double certain doses for it to work. So from these experiences, and we have written statements from doctors all around the country to support this, we believe that some medicines and pharmaceutical drugs maybe substandard,” he said.
Yockopua said the Health Department, in the absence of a testing facility, should outsource testing to be done by an independent body.
He said the removal of the ISO 9001 as a requirement “puts lives of patients at risk”.
“That was the whole reason why the NDA had spoken up in the first place,” he said.

3 comments

  • It is high time our country seriously take practical steps to formulate policies of which must emanate from legislations and regulations to promote high standards for qualities and specification requirements of goods and services entry our country. This should be applied not only for medical drugs but must also include for other manufactured foods and services.
    A way forward. Well done. I’m proud to read the story about such initiatives.

    A product Papua New Guinea

  • Really true that National Doctors Association has risen this issue (Health issue in the country) has spark the parliament house and now that we have a PPC to check and balance every covered that was done by few elites who think of them selves only.
    Thank You NDA

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