Morocco Raises Fake Drug lnspections

Moroccan health officials are working with the fraud prevention departments within the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Internal Affairs to increase drug store inspections.

The Health Minister, Yasmina Baddou, told parliament on November 24th that the inter-ministry cooperation will try to stop drugs being sold outside the legal market and to raise public awareness of the health dangers of fake drug consumption, reported Magharebia on December 28th, 2010.

Said a Moroccan father, Mohamed T, to Magharebia “I’ve already bought baby milk, antibiotics, tablets and stomach syrups. But I stopped the day when my son nearly died because of an out-of-date bottle of Ventolin.”

The Health Ministry reminded parliament that all medicines produced in Morocco, as well as those imported legally, comply with regulations, and are subject to testing by The National Laboratory for the Examination of Medicines to ensure that drugs quality standards.

The Ministry of Health is establishing a medicines agency to help with the threat, says Baddou.