The Ministry of Interior and Coordination on Wednesday, March 6, announced a crackdown on licensed pharmacists and veterinary doctors dispensing drugs without prescription.
Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki while making the pronouncement stated that licensed chemists and agrovets issuing prescriptions must provide a certification of the issuing officer.
Kindiki further directed all chemists and agro-vets to submit their operation licenses to the Pharmacy and Poisons Board and Veterinary Medicines Directorate for verification within 30 days.
According to the CS, failure to submit the licenses shall prompt an immediate closure of the facility by the relevant authorities.
"All unlicensed and noncompliant drug manufacturers, agro vets and chemists are to be shut down with immediate effect," the CS remarked.
"The list of currently approved and licensed establishments has been shared with county security teams for reference,” he added.
Kindiki's directive was triggered after concerns were raised about counterfeit drugs being sold by chemists posing serious health risks to Kenyans.
The decree also follows complaints by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board about some chemists defying the closure orders issued by the board in its previous inspection.
In a similar directive by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in November last year, the DP ordered the Pharmacy and Poisons Board to launch a crackdown on chemists selling counterfeit drugs to Kenyans.
According to the DP, for the operation to be successful, the Board should use a multi-agency approach.
“The Pharmacy and Poisons Board must work hard. We are finding a situation where drugs that should not be sold over the counter are in chemists and pharmacies,'' Gachagua stated.
We have allocated resources to facilitate the regulatory body in delivering on this assignment,” he added.
