LIBERIA – The Liberia Medicines & Health Products Regulations Authority (LMHRA) has circulated seven new regulations that provide a framework guiding the pharmaceutical sector of Liberia in partnership with the United States Pharmacopeia, through the Promoting of Quality Medicines Plus (USP PQM+).
The Liberia Medicines & Health Products Regulatory Authority is the statutory arm of the Government of Liberia with the responsibility to ensure that all medicines and health products circulating the borders of Liberia are safe and of good quality.
The seven regulations promulgated by LMHRA include Advertisement on Medicines & Health Products, Regulations on Donations of Medicines & Health Products, Regulations on Withdrawal, Recall and Confiscation and Regulations on Treatment and Disposal of Medicines & Health Products.
Other regulations approved by the Liberian drug authority are Regulations on Registration of Medicines & Health Products, Regulations on Labelling of Medicines & Health Products and Regulations on Importation & Exportation of Medicines & Health Products.
The new regulations on registration provide a legal framework to ensure effective regulation of the registration of all medicines and health products as well as an open, transparent and non-discriminatory process for the registration of all medicines and health products coming into the Liberian market.
In addition, the regulations on advertisement will support effective and efficient regulation of advertisement of Over the Counter medicines and health products to ensure the health and safety of all people within Liberia.
The regulation on importation and exportation provides a regulatory framework for effective importation and exportation of medicines and health products while the regulation on labeling on provides legal frameworks for the effective regulations of the labels packaging material.
The new laws will also ensure that all donated medical products meet the current World Health Organization Guidelines as well as the 2014 guidelines for the donation of medicines and medical supplies to Liberia and the National Standard Treatment Guidelines of Liberia.
Furthermore, the ruling mandates provides a transparent process for the treatment and disposal of unfit medicines and health products to protect human health and the environment from potential health hazards along with efficient handling, treating, and disposing of unfit health products.
The new manufacturing regulations for pharmaceuticals are in line the Liberia Medicines & Health Products Regulations Authority Act of 2010 Part 5 Section 7 which confers upon the authority, the responsibility of regulating medicines and health products within the country.
The new framework guiding how medicines and health products are regulated in Liberia was approved by the LMHRA during the Presentation and Dissemination Meeting held at the USP PQM+-Liberia offices from 25th to 26th May 2022.
The Presentation and Dissemination Meeting at USP PQM+-Liberia offices was attended by commercial importers and Non-Governmental Organizations importers as well as county pharmacists, superintendent pharmacists and pharmacists of medical institutions.
Other stakeholders that participated in the meeting include representatives of the United States Agency for International Development, PQM+, the Ministry of Health, Medicine San Frontier, Samaritan Purse, Partners in Health and Last Mile Health among other institutional bodies.
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