Christenson,
I share this concern with you. This is very scary. I can understand the need
of drugs in the Gambia, but for a pharmacist to declare that "an ordinary ORS
doesn't have any side effects. Even if it has expired" she said. That is very
misleading. There is no antidiarrheals drugs free from side effects just like
any other drugs.
Some of the side effects infact are constipation and the adverse reactions of
using expired drugs are more likely compared to usable ones.
What is more alarming to me is the fact that the pharmacist admitted that
they do dispense "Expired drugs" whiles they wait on new ones. There is no
excuse for this. They should know their inventory and be responsible enough
to know when to place an order.
I do not know about the way  drugs are regulated in the Gambia, but hence
they are not manufactured there, there is no reason why we should not heed to
the manufacturers' recommendations. There should be standards to be followed
that every manufacturer of drugs follows and are tested to enhance the
efficacy, biovailability, potency, purity, potency and safety and toxicity
before being supplied to the consumers.
I hope there is a law in the Gambia that guarantees the consumers some rights
where by they could take lagal action against such. There is no acceptable
excuse to dispense expired/wrong meds or dasages to the people.

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