The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has urged patients and their caregivers to report adverse reactions experienced when using medicines, vaccines and other health products for appropriate regulatory action.

This could also be done through Adverse Reactions Reporting forms available in healthcare facilities and the BlueForm available from Community Pharmacies designated as Patient Safety Centres or call the FDA on mobile number 024 4310 297.

The FDA made the call in a statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Monday to mark this year’s World Patient Safety Day celebrations.

The annual event, initiated by the World Health Organization and celebrated on September 17th, is dedicated to raising awareness about patient safety and advocating for better healthcare practices.

 The theme for this year’s celebrations is, “Engaging patients for patient safety,” with the slogan “Elevate the voice of patients.”

The FDA said patients as well as the public could report their experiences through the Med Safety App available on Play Store and App Store for Android and iOS devices respectively.

The celebration recognises the crucial role patients, families, and caregivers play in the delivery of effective healthcare.

The Authority also noted that the theme resonated deeply with their commitment to ensuring that patients and the Ghanaian population have access to safe, quality, and efficacious medicine and other health products.

The statement said in line with the theme for this year’s Patient Safety Day the FDA has planned a series of nationwide media and stakeholder engagement activities across the regions this week starting from Monday, September 18, 2023.

"The objective of these activities is to empower patients and the public with information on how to respond when they experience side effects related to the use of medicines, vaccines and other health products," it added.

It said the empowerment aimed at enhancing the patient’s participation in the FDA's mission to ensure the safety of the products. It therefore urged the public to contact the FDA for further information.