[Re: https://www.hifa.org/dgroups-rss/introduction-tejiri-iyomi-qa-associate-... ]
Apologies, this response is long overdue. I’m a QA Associate at Juhel Nigeria Limited. Our products include, but are not limited to, analgesics, vitamins, antihistamines, anti-helminthics, and cardiovascular medicines.
In summary, my role involves ensuring that the medicines we produce are safe and of the utmost quality before releasing them to the public. Not just safe but also complies with regulatory requirements. A lot of activities are involved in achieving this, some of which include laboratory testing, monitoring, reviewing manufacturing & quality documents, audits, investigating quality issues where required, etc.
Now, looking at how we can better meet the information needs that enable people to use medicines safely — from production all the way to patient use — I had no thoughts on it prior to now, but after reading a discussion here on HIFA by Dr. Uzodinma on language-inclusive communication I have come to agree with the statement that "Health information that people cannot understand has limited value."
In pharmaceutical manufacturing, our emphasis is mainly on product quality. The majority of information we give for a particular product is found in the packets and packaging inserts, and these are written in English and French—languages that many people, particularly those in rural communities or with limited literacy, may struggle to understand. While I understand that manufacturers must comply with regulatory labeling requirements and oftentimes face space limitations on packaging, I believe a starting point could be looking into the translation of important instructions (dosages) into widely spoken local languages where feasible, so that key instructions are easier for users to understand.
HIFA profile: Tejiri Iyomi is a Quality Assurance Associate at Juhel Nigeria Limited, Nigeria. Professional interests: Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance, Access to Safe and Effective Medicine, Combating Substandard and falsified (counterfeit) Medicines, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), supply chain security, Regulatory Affairs and Strengthening Healthcare Systems in Nigeria. Email address: iyomitejiri99 AT gmail.com