USP Efforts to Promote Access to Quality Medicines in Africa Boosted by Quick International Lab Accreditation
Rockville, MD (PRWEB) August 13, 2014 -- The Center for Pharmaceutical Advancement and Training, launched in Ghana by the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) to promote access to good quality medicines, has received a top international laboratory accreditation – becoming one of the only few laboratories in Sub-Saharan Africa to meet internationals standards in conducting quality control testing of medicines.
“We serve as a resource to countries throughout Sub-Saharan Africa by equipping regulatory authorities, manufacturers, quality control professionals and others in the pharmaceutical industry with knowledge and skills to help ensure good quality medicines,” said Patrick Lukulay, Ph.D., vice president for the USP department overseeing this effort.
Launched in May 2013, the center serves all Sub-Saharan Africa — a region facing serious health issues and a proliferation of substandard and counterfeit medicines.
“Having an internationally accredited laboratory available as a training facility is a tremendous resource for the entire region,” said Lukulay. “The ISO 17025 accreditation, which came in record time, demonstrates the quality of our programs, the dedication of our staff in Ghana and USP’s commitment to global health.”
The center, located in Accra, Ghana, received the ISO 17025 accreditation from ACLASS, one of the three brands of the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board, an internationally recognized body responsible for granting ISO/IEC accreditations to high quality testing and calibration laboratories. Preparations for obtaining the lab accreditation took place as staff was conducting training programs for regulators and manufacturers in quality control, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and dossier evaluation.
Claudia Costabile, U.S. Pharmacopeia Department of Public Relations, 301-816-8314, [email protected]
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