A drama Group demonstrating how to use the Med Safety App.
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has launched a new app designed to help the public report any side effect of medicines, cosmetics, household chemicals and any other drug in a fast and convenient way.
The Med Safety App is another platform the Authority is deploring to ensure quick feedback from consumers on products they purchase on the open market.
Speaking at the launch of the App in Accra, Mimi Delese Darko, Chief Executive of the FDA, said “It is known fact that Apps are 1.5 times faster than mobile websites and perform actions faster too.”
She said Apps reduce the cost for consumers.
According to her, using the Med Safety App would improve two-way communication between major stakeholders.
“This is because the Med Safety App will not only allow you the users to report side effect of medicines, medical products and vaccines but it will also provide them with pertinent information on safety to improve health and wellbeing,” she added.
Additionally, Mrs. Darko observed that it was a positive intervention to actively involve patients in the post approval of medical products process and in ensuring that marketed products continue to be safe in order to serve their healthcare needs.
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Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, in a speech read on his behalf said “It is the right timing for the FDA to launch this Mobile App for reporting side effects of medicines by healthcare professionals and the public to further its mandate of ensuring safe use of medicines”.
He indicated that the introduction of the Med Safety App would help the FDA to faster identify medicines safety issues since this will make it easier for healthcare professionals and the public to report problems with their medicines to the FDA at no extra cost once the app is downloaded.
“These side effects will be received by the FDA so that it can promptly work these reports incase there are issues that need to be addressed on any particular medicine to prevent other people from suffering from the same side effects,” he added.
Mr. Agyeman-Manu encouraged all Ghanaians to use the App to help the FDA ensure that only safe medicines were available on the Ghanaian market.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri & Nadia Nimako