Softcare case: "All expired stock has been destroyed," (Minister of Health)

The Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, Dr. Ibrahima Sy, provided details this Friday on the destruction of expired stocks found on the premises of Softcare.

He reiterated that they were destroyed under the supervision of the gendarmerie. He also specified that the quantities involved were ultimately greater than the initial estimates. "Before, we were talking about 1,300, but when the investigations took place, they said it wasn't 1,300, it was 2,200. Part of the stock had been stored at another location. All of this expired stock was destroyed. These materials could no longer be used in the manufacturing process," he explained.

Regarding the nature of the products in question, the minister stressed that Softcare falls under the category of personal hygiene products and cosmetic products.

“It’s a health product, but it can’t be considered a medicine,” he noted. While medicines are sold in pharmacies, he indicated that Softcare products are also available in shops and supermarkets.

The draft decree provided for by the regulations should make it possible to regulate the marketing of these cosmetic and personal hygiene products.

Furthermore, when questioned about the existence of an alert protocol, Dr. Ibrahima Sy answered in the affirmative. He indicated that a control system already exists through pharmacovigilance. "We will strengthen the intervention mechanism of the Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (ARP) in order to improve the handling of any alerts related to the products concerned. We will also strengthen the control and monitoring system for health and hygiene products," he promised.