The Medicines Control Agency (MCA), The Gambia has introduced the regulation of pre- shipment document verification, physical inspection, quality control testing and issuance of Clean Report of Inspection and Analysis (CRIA) for Pharmaceuticals to address issues related to substandard and falsified (counterfeit) medicines entering the country. This regulation requires all imported pharmaceutical products from India to be inspected and tested for conformity of quality standards prior to shipment from India. This is a mandatory process to be followed for all consignments imported into The Gambia from India.
The MCA has appointed Quntrol Laboratories Private Limited, an independent verification, inspection and testing company, to carry out mandatory document verification, physical inspection, quality control testing and issuance of CRIA for all shipments. An importer shall in addition require a (CRIA) issued by Quntrol to clear their goods at the ports in The Gambia.
Without this mandatory CRIA document, goods will not be accepted in the importation process.
Quntrol shall conduct document verification, physical inspection of the consignment and sampling, for laboratory testing for each shipment. If conformity is established at all levels, Quntrol shall issue the mandatory CRIA document. If conformity is not established with regards to quality of the product, the shipment will be quarantined or seized by the MCA and
the necessary regulatory actions shall be taken.
The regulation will be implemented from 1% July 2023. All shipments arriving in The Gambia with bill of lading dated on or after 1% July 2023 will be required to provide the CRIA for customs clearance at the ports of entry in The Gambia.
Thursday 15th June 2023
Source: Medicines Control Agency