What are Class C drugs?
Class C drugs are proprietary drugs that are to be supplied by both chemical sellers and registered pharmacists.
These drugs are not sold on prescription and can be obtained at all pharmacy shops in the country.
Class A, B and C drugs are to be sold on registered places and by registered people, i.e. registered pharmacists or licensed chemical sellers.
Exempted drugs (i.e. those not in classes A, B and C) are such drugs as aspirin and sodium bicarbonate which can be sold by anyone and at any place including drug peddlers commonly referred to as “Abochi”.
To classify a drug into any category, two factors are considered. They are the drug’s potential for abuse and its medical value. Because addictive drugs score high on the chart of drugs that are addictive, they are classified as Class A. The More addictive and dangerous a drug is, the higher it’s chance of being classified as Class A.
The medical value of a drug is determined by the drug undergoing large-scale clinical trials to satisfy the conditions of being fit to be used by humans according to the regulations of the Food and Drug Authority (FDA), as it has some set standards for drugs entering the market.
The government hospitals in Ghana receive their supply of narcotics from the Central Medical Stores. The private and mission hospitals purchase their narcotic drugs from local importing firms.
The Narcotics Control Board In Ghana is responsible for carrying out inspections at various entry points of the country to check the flow of narcotics into the Country. Periodic sweeps are done on airplanes and vessels.
During these inspections, if any suspected narcotic product(s) is found, and has not been authorized by the Central Medical Stores, they are confiscated and tests are run to ascertain the kind of substance it is. The culprits are then arraigned before law courts for their cases to be tried.
List of class C drugs in Ghana
- Anabolic steroids
- benzodiazepines (diazepam)
- gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB)
- gamma-butyrolactone (GBL)
- piperazines (BZP)
- khat
Class C Substances: Usually includes prescription tranquilizers and prescription narcotics such as Clonazepam, diazepam (Valium), and Hydrocodone (Vicodin;) Also mescaline, mushrooms (“psilocybin,”) and similar hallucinogenic drugs.
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