Former President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, Professor Alex Dodoo, is advocating for a pricing policy to address the high cost of pharmaceutical products in the country.

This follows an announcement by the Food & Drugs Authority (FDA) on a fake brand of the Zentel dewormer on the market.

The post-market surveillance team of the FDA impounded the fake drugs in three pharmacy shops in Accra after running thorough analysis on samples. Zentel is an over-the-counter drug, which is meant for the treatment of single or mixed intestinal parasites.

But Professor Dodoo in an interview with JoyNews said consumers resort to purchasing cheap substandard medicines because quality medicines are expensive.

“The medicines in Ghana are extremely expensive; it takes a lot of money sometimes a whole month salary just to buy a life-saving medicine, so people resort to cheap ones”, he bemoaned.

The former president of the Pharmaceutical Society further added that the cost and quality of medicines in the country also make patients vulnerable to undue exploitation by health workers.

“Currently patients are at the mercy of those, who sell medicines whether they are pharmacists, doctors or nurses. Patients are suffering and that must stop”, he stressed.

Professor Dodoo called on government and the Ministry of Health  to introduce a firm pricing policy so that people are not cheated.