OVERVIEW

The Inspectorate and Post Market Surveillance Department is one of the four technical departments of The ECOWAS PHC with the responsibility to inspect all medicines and health products in line with ECOWAS PHC’s regulations and guidelines; Post Market Surveillance activities; manage pharmaceutical wastes through incineration; and register and license Premises (Whole sale Pharmacies/ Cosmetics shops).

 

STRUCTURE OF THE DEPARTMENT

This Department comprises of five (5) units and is headed by a Director, the Inspector General, who is a pharmacist. He is assisted by a Deputy Inspector General, also a pharmacist, with several managers who head the various units within the Department: Post Market Surveillance Unit, Pharmaceutical Waste Management Unit, Port Inspection Unit, and Premise Licensing Unit & Regional County Offices. The Department has six (6) pharmacists, two (2) pharmacy technicians, 34 surveillance officers, 19 intelligence officers, one (1) accounts officer and one (1) office assistant.

POST MARKET SURVEILLANCE UNIT

    *  Coordinates the monitoring of the quality of medicines and health products in circulation to ensure public health safety;
    *  Collaborates with the Quality Control Laboratory;
    *  Monitors the storage facilities of importers, wholesalers, distributors, hospitals and clinics;
    *  Issues alert, recall and deal with potentially defective medicines and health products.

PHARMACEUTICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT UNIT

   *  Makes calls to Pharmaceutical entities to inquire about expired and damaged pharmaceutical products or wastes
   *  Visits pharmaceutical entities who accumulate pharmaceutical waste and do quantification
   *  Prepares bill(s) and write said pharmaceutical entity for payment
   *  After payment is made, collects the wastes and transport said to the disposal site for temporary storage
   *  Implement pharmaceutical waste disposal (Incineration)

PORT INSPECTION UNIT

   *  Conducts Port Inspection and collection of samples
   *  Submits samples for Premarket analysis
   *  Release products for circulation if cleared by QC Lab
   *  Quarantines questionable products
   *  Conducts Routine Inspections

PREMISE LICENSING UNIT

    *  Responsible for the issuance of premise APPLY HERE to superintendent Pharmacists
    *  Receives and processes documents for premise registration
    *  Coordinates Pre and Post inspection of premises
    *  Premise Inspection