By Eddah Waithaka
Following the directive by the Deputy President His Excellency Rigathi Gachagua to crack down and close down illegal pharmacy outlets and closely monitor registered or regulated pharmacies in Kenya, we hereby resolve that the Kenya Pharmaceutical Association supports H.E. Rigathi Gachagua’s initiative to improve access to quality essential medicines and put in place measures to ensure the safety of Kenyans.
In Kenya, we have only two cadres of pharmacists, the professionals who are allowed to practice pharmacy, register or open pharmacy premises and handle medicines under the COP 244 of the Kenyan Act.
Any other person purporting to practise pharmacy within a premises or without the prior permission of the Regular Pharmacy and Poisons So carrying on such a business unlawfully and is therefore an illegal practitioner or quack.
The group therefore wants illegal pharmacy outlets, drug stores and pharmaceutical hawkers must be dealt with firmly, decisively and with utmost urgency as they compromise the safety and quality of healthcare to the citizens.
KPA supports multi sectorial approach in dealing with the illegal premises and calls for involvement of the regulator (PPB), professional bodies (KPA & PSK), county representatives and ministry of interior.
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Emphasis should also be put on rogue wholesalers illegally supplying medicine to illegal pharmacies and hawkers
All registered pharmacy outlets are regulated by PPB in pursuit to protect the integrity of the pharmacy practitioners we recommend as follows:
a) They should always rely on the updated list of registered pharmacy premises by the PPB
b) The initiative of self-regulation by professional bodies should be strengthened by PPB and supported by the county government
c) MoH should prioritize employing more drug inspectors to match the number of growing premises in Kenya and at least one inspector per sub-county
d) We propose implementation of nyumba kumi initiative (zoning) in collaboration with local administration and county governments
e) To help in identification of registered premises KPA has adopted the Blue Cross as a mark of trusted, quality and safe pharmacy outlets to be mounted in all KPA members registered premises.
Also the group urge members of the public to be vigilant on points where they access their medicines.
