BPA president: CPC never spoke to us about expired drugs

Bahamas Pharmaceutical Association (BPA) President Dr. Marvin Smith said yesterday that the issue of expired medication was never brought to the attention of the association by the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC). Smith was responding to comments from CPC Executive Chairman Randy Rolle, who said during a press conference on Monday that some over-the-counter medications in some drug stores were outdated, which poses a health risk.

Rolle said the CPC intends to leverage existing laws to compel retailers to improve their practices. Smith, in a Whatsapp response to Guardian Business queries, said: “The BPA recently meet with the leadership of the Price Control Unit to discuss matters relevant to both entities. The meeting was exhaustive in its scope, and very productive.



At no time was the issue of expired products ever raised, even though both parties agreed to discuss any relevant matters. “We left the meeting with the mutual promise to engage each other in a professional manner, and keep open lines of communication.” Smith added, “It is very disappointing that the CPC would seek to malign and instigate a negative connotation about our local pharmacies, without ever once attempting to address any outstanding issue with the association.

“Quite frankly, it’s a bush league type of action that is beneath such an official body. No person or organization is perfect, and if the CPC had noted such incidents, the proper method of resolution would be to contact the offenders directly, and if they felt some wider attention was warranted, to contact the association, and we would gladly partner in increasing the level of vigilance on this issue. However, they have chosen to smear the entire industry with this irresponsible statement to the public.

Smith continued: The BPA remains committed to providing the essential services to the Bahamian people, as evidenced by our unwavering lead role in the National Prescription Drug Program. We will redouble our efforts to ensure that our members continue to strive for the highest standards, and where we may fall short, quickly learn and improve. But actions and statements such as those by the CPC do little to encourage cooperation and mutual engagement.

“We have seen this playbook fail the team before, most recently with the decision to send heavily armed military to collect tax receipts from businesses. I urge the leadership of the country to remind its subordinates that actions such as this do nothing to strengthen that essential partnership that now exists.”.