The Ghanaian populace has been advised to pay critical attention to herbal medication.
This caution statements by the Assistant General Manager of DKT International, Mr. Adamu Abdulai is as a result of the wrong opinion of people that, herbal medicines has no aide effects.
Explaining that, many people are not aware of the toxicity of herbal medicines, hence takes herbal medicines for granted by taking it without any prescriptions.
Revealing that, most of the case in our hospitals are as a result errors or wrongly intake herbal medications adding that, “We combine a lot of drugs that we are not supposed to combine especially herbal medicine and because of the drug interactions, we end up in the hospital”.
Mr. Abdulia gave these caution statements at DKT International workshop in Bolgatanga Municipalities which aimed to sensitize health workers on the need to report complains of adverse drug reactions.
DKT International is a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) who deals in modern contraceptive and other family planning product thoughts that our health works and chemical shop owner do not have the idea on how to report on ADR which in most case cause a lot of challenges.
Similar workshops he indicated will take place across the country to enlighten stakeholders on the adverse effects of drugs, especially DKT products and urged health professionals to report any side effects of any of its products, for appropriate action.
Mr Abdulai meanwhile pointed out that, his outfit is concentrated on family planning products because it want to improve living conditions.
Meanwhile, Dr. Abdul Razak Dokurugu the Upper West Regional Deputy Director of Health on his part acknowledged the importance of the workshop hence detailed that, health professionals had significant knowledge on what pharmacovigilance was about and also know the effect of ADR.
In addition, noted pharmacovigilance was one of the key pillars in managing patients introduced onto medications.
The workshop he noted was in line with the Ghana Health Service policy of educating members of the public, hence s step in the right direction.T.
“This is arming the patient who is using the medicine, and on the second aspect arming the health care worker to have a deeper understanding because it opens up the communication between the user and the prescriber”, he a knowledged.
Adding, health professionals can not carry out their mandate of informing the public if they themselves are not well informed about the adverse effects of the pharmacological products they prescribed to their clients.
Source: News Desk
Dr Dokurugu said some of the products of the Organisation were new to health professionals, especially midwives, “so it is good that the facilitator is taking his time to explain how they work and what the benefits are, it will help our workers educate the general public on how to use some of these contraceptives.”
The Deputy Director said pharmacovigilance gave patients the opportunity to understand the medicines they took and the potential unwanted effects to expect.
