IMC invites Pharmacy Board for discussion
The Independent Media Commission (IMC) on Tuesday 24th August invited the Registrar of the Pharmacy Board, Mr. Wiltshire Johnson for discussion on contravention of some aspects of the advertising section of the IMC Media Code of Practice noticed by the Commission’s Monitoring Committee.
The Chairperson of the IMC, Mrs. Bernadette Cole told Mr. Wiltshire Johnson that the IMC was concerned about some medical advertisements currently being aired on radio and television stations and wanted to know whether, as prescribed by the Pharmacy Board Act, all these advertisements were endorsed by the Pharmacy Board.
The Chairperson made particular reference to skin lightening creams which she believed contained high levels of steroids and advertisements by so called doctors who claim to have the capacity to heal all kinds of diseases and medical conditions. She pointed out that while it is the mandate of the IMC to monitor what is put out by media institutions in the country, the Pharmacy Board must ensure that it carries out its own mandate to protect the health of the general public.
The Registrar of the Pharmacy Board, Mr. Wiltshire Johnson told the Commission that the Pharmacy and Drugs Act of 2001 empowers the Pharmacy Board to endorse advertisements dealing with health and related issues. He said that apart from over the counter drugs for minor ailments, advertisers should obtain approval from the Pharmacy Board before putting out advertisements on drugs and cosmetics. He said that people who were advertising medical services in the media were doing so illegally and spoke of efforts of the Pharmacy Board to contain drug peddling and to tackle other problems associated with their mandate.
Mr. Johnson disclosed that application for advertising skin lightening creams e.g. DIVA had not yet been approved by the Pharmacy Board and explained the various concentrates of steroids and hydroquinone that are permissible in skin lightening creams
Mrs. Cole extended an invitation to the Registrar or his representative to join the IMC’s Committee on Advertising so that both institutions could share vital information to bring sanity to the advertising of health issues in the media.
J.P.K. Lamin On behalf of the Chairperson and Commissioners of the IMCStay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!
© 2010, https:. All rights reserved.
