The Food and Drugs Regulations of 2017 had a meaningful effect on the pharmaceutical industry in Belize - affecting everything from the brands of drugs that can be imported, down to where you can find it in your favorite pharmacy.
The new regime of standards for the local pharmaceutical industry is designed to create a safer, standardized supply of pharmaceuticals, but it has created significant market and supply shifts. That's caused monetary losses for big suppliers and confusion for consumers who cannot find the drugs they want in the regular brand names, or from the manufacturers they trust.
Activist Geovanni Brackett is one of them - and today he held a press conference to rail against the Ministry of Health and demand better - even if it means pitching a conspiracy theory to the Federal Drug Administration in the United States. Here's more from the press conference at the RadIsson VIP room:
Geovannie Brackett, Activist
"I want to highlight how the government through the ministry of health is making it difficult for Belizeans to access quality brand medications. As a person who id diabetic and who uses metformin, I can tell you that there is a lot of Nicaraguan, Central American brand products that is out there. But when you use that versus - recently I have found out that there is actually a Canadian brand, American brand it works much better and so this prompted me to look at the complaints that I was hearing around the country."
"Now I will say categorically that not all generic brand is bad, but I believe that from the complaints that I've heard there is a lot of inferior products that is on the market, a lot of products that is out there in Chinese/Indian stores and they are not effective."
"If you are using a particular medication and it is not working effectively, then you make a list of it, we need to open up a Facebook page, website - I am willing to open up an opinion box and you start sending me, my number is 664-3771 and you tell me if you medication isn't working and if by within 6 months we can pile up a bunch of medication that isn't working effectively according to the public opinion, then we need to take it to the streets and then we need to force the pharmaceutical association, the necessary wholesale providers into joining with us. so that we can provide Belizeans with the best healthcare."
"In my view the Ministry of Health is rolling out a list of unreasonable demands on pharmacies, on the wholesale providers - making it difficult for them to get name brand medication and I think the Ministry of Health is being really ridiculous, because not only are they implementing stringent measures that is ridiculous, but they are going into pharmacies to remove more than 50% of what was over the counter medications to now being put behind the counter. What I have before me is jut small sample of these products for example a Pepto Bismol, you can have just simply go into Brodies, into another store and you could pick up your Pepto Bismol. This is a product now that has been move to behind the counter."
"When you look at these products here, there are products that you could have easily have access and now each one of these plus more you need a prescription and it's ridiculous, because these same products you would be able to get it in a Chinese store in some other supermarket store."
"The action that I would be taken is that in my full research I have recordings, I have other documentations and I will be writing the US Embassy, the European Union, FDA, European equivalent, Canadian equivalent to make a formal complaint. There is a direct conspiracy to next to ban I would like to say FDA American first world European Canadian approved pharmaceutical and I think that is a crime. If you want to spread business to generic brands, don't do it at the expense of giving the Belizean public quality access, easy access to name brand products. But I am hoping that with these proper letter and backing I am willing to testify. If they want to call me in and to know who my source I am going to go testify to them in confidence so that those entities know and understand that this is not some washed up complaint."
Reporter
"You are saying that you only want European and American pharma. I don't know what you are experiencing, but it sounds that you're predisposed to first world pharma. How is it sir that our grassroots champion has get rich and switch? And now fighting for big pharma in America and you want to have a congressional hearing."
Geovannie Brackett, Activist
"If you didnt say it like this I would be surprised. My position here is grassroots, it's the fact that I am a diabetic and I am here. You just said that you don't use medication, so are you to tell me where I am to supposed to get my medication? Who on God's green earth are you to tell me what the hell I am supposed to use, because maybe you would want me to use substandard regional products that might be okay for you, but it's not okay for me."
We'll wait and see those letters of complaint to the FDA. Again, if you are not happy with the quality or supply of your meds, you can text or WhatsApp Brackett at 664-3771.
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