The Food and Drugs Board (FDB) is warning the general public about the presence of fake malaria drugs on the market.

The Ashanti Regional office of the FDB said it has discovered several fake tablets of a popular malaria prescription – Coartem.

The Board has confiscated 150 packs of the product from nine wholesale and retail pharmacies involved in the distribution and sale of the fake products.

Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Zonal Officer of the FDB, Joseph Bennie, said the board has adopted a name-and-shame strategy to fight drug counterfeiting.

Counterfeiters deter research-based pharmaceutical companies from investing resources in new products.

The FDB said it was recently inundated with text messages and phone calls of people giving leads to persons engaged in drug counterfeiting in Kumasi.

Mr Bennie said the board has revamped its internal mechanisms in order for early detection of counterfeit goods on the local market.

He warned the counterfeit drug, Coartem, is being sold in other parts of the country.

“We will therefore direct all pharmacies and chemical sellers that these products which they have in their stock would identify batch numbers X0089 and M1200,” he hinted.

He said such chemical sellers must not hesitate to contact the FDB or the Pharmacy Council about the presence of such goods on their shelves.

He announced that the FDB would soon hand over to the police for prosecution the nine institutions in Kumasi caught trading such illegal drugs.