Korle Bu upgrades drug production with new quality assurance equipment

The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has recently upgraded its Drug Manufacturing Unit with two new pieces of equipment to improve production efficiency, strengthen quality assurance, and enhance the safety of medications produced for patients. The equipment consists of a peristaltic medicine filling machine and a particle inspection machine, which are expected to expedite the hospital's production processes and help identify potential particulate contamination in finished products.

The Drug Manufacturing Unit, managed under the Pharmacy Department, has been custom-compounding and producing medications to meet patients' specific needs for years. With the introduction of these new machines, the unit anticipates a strengthened capacity to deliver safe, effective, and affordable medications. Dr. Charles Ofei-Palm, the Pharmacy Department Director, expressed gratitude to the hospital management for providing the equipment and reaffirmed the department's dedication to producing quality medications at affordable prices for patients within and outside the hospital.

Dr. Ofei-Palm emphasized the importance of proper equipment maintenance to ensure it remains in good working condition and operates efficiently, benefiting the hospital for years to come. Specialist Pharmacist Pharm. Agatha Owusu-Nyamekye, the Head of the Drug Manufacturing Unit, demonstrated the machines' operation and explained the improvements they have brought to the production process.

She highlighted that the equipment has made medicine production faster and more efficient while reducing contamination risks, particularly during the manual filling of medicine containers. Dr. Ofei-Palm appealed for continued support from the hospital management and other stakeholders, emphasizing that sustained investment would further bolster the Pharmacy Department's ability to produce safe, effective, and affordable medications for patients.