Mistakes Pharmacists Make that have Led to PPB Suspending Licenses

A boda boda rider vrooms past a building with Cooperative Bank signage
A boda boda rider vrooms passes past Cooperative Bank.
Twitter

The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) has suspended practicing licenses of several pharmacists nationwide over professional misconduct.

In an official notice on Tuesday, January 14, the board’s Enquiries and Disciplinary Committee (EDC), chaired by Dr. Richard Muthoka outlined the common mistakes that pharmacists have been committing leading to their suspension.

In the wake of online shopping and delivery, many Kenyans have embraced this method for their daily necessity shopping including medicine.

Pharmacies in the country deliver medicine to patients in the comfort of their homes through boda boda riders. While this is quick, it has placed pharmacists operations at risk.

PPB official conducts operations at Pharmacies in the Coastal region on Thursday, February 3. 2022.
PPB official conducts operations at Pharmacies in the Coastal region on Thursday, February 3. 2022.
File


In one of the incidences that led to the suspension of an operating license, a mishandling of prescriptions by a boda boda delivery exposed the customer's personal details, including the diagnosis, leading to the suspension of a popular pharmacy in Nairobi.

The delivery contained an insurance form with the wrong diagnosis, prompting the board to investigate the matter.

"A pharmacist authorized the delivery of medication by a rider with an external label bearing a complaint's full name, phone number, house name, and diagnosis. Additionally,  the package contained an insurance form with the wrong diagnosis and improperly coded, exposing the patient's sensitive information, " the notice read.

According to the PPB, by exposing the patient's details, the pharmacy owner breached professional conduct and was slapped with a six-month suspension.

Apart from the delivery mishap, another mistake involved a pharmacist fraudulently setting up a pharmacy.

The pharmacist in question entered into an agreement with an unqualified person to set up a pharmacy in his name and then transferred the ownership to the non-professional. The board determined that this action amounted to professional misconduct leading to a five-year license revocation.

Another pharmacist failed to notify the board that he had officially closed his pharmacy in Kajiado County, leaving the premises open without a registered pharmacist or pharmaceutical technologist. According to PPB, the action put the public's health at risk leading to the owner's license suspension for three months.

Operating a pharmacy in an unregistered premises and allowing it to function without a registered pharmacist also led to the revocation of another pharmacist practicing certificate for five years.

Pharmacists across the country have been advised to take their job seriously and ensure the safety of patients. The board has assured Kenyans that it will honor its commitment to high standards in the pharmaceutical field.

An office of the Pharmacy and Poisons Board in Nairobi.
An office of the Pharmacy and Poisons Board in Nairobi.
Photo
PPB