The Food and Drugs Authority has condemned calls by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana for investigations into its operations.

The Society says the media war between the Food and Drugs Authority and other drug importers in recent times is an indication of a regulatory failure at the FDA.

It has therefore called on government to investigate recent disagreements between the FDA and various drug importers.

James Ohemeng Kyei, the President of the Society said in a statement that the Society's attempts to engage the FDA have been unsuccessful, adding "the FDA is yet to respond to the society’s request [to collaborate with them] since June 6, 2013.”

He stated, "The society strongly condemns unproven and unsubstantiated alerts and allegations on medicine by the FDA or any agency, as such alarmist information creates unnecessary panic among all stakeholders in the medicines industry including patients and the general populace" the PSGH statement said in reaction to a FDA directive to hospitals and pharmaceutical companies to return all Bliss BVS products suppliers because they are fake.

Ohemeng Kyei told Joy News: “There is apparent systemic failure, we want the government to set up a committee to investigate this issue so that we find out the cause and then those found culpable be punished.”

But the FDA disagrees. Senior Regulatory Officer Samuel Asante Boateng told Joy News anyone who makes such calls is just ignorant of the FDA’s role.

“I am also disappointed in them in saying that, because I don’t know why a meeting will not be called for a deliberation to even understand what happens in regulation before making that call.”

He said some importers have adopted canny ways of smuggling in unregistered products into the country. Some mixed registered products with the unregistered making it difficult to prevent the influx of fake drugs, he said.

“That is why we have in place the post market surveillance activities” to check those that made their way onto the market, Mr Asante Boateng asserted.

He said the WHO has assessed the system put in place by the FDA and even recommended it to similar institutions elsewhere, “we should rather be commended than to be chastised”.