More than 60 people have been arrested this week for operating chemists and pharmacies without licenses in Nairobi.
The Kenya Pharmacy and Poisons Board said most were not registered with the board and had inadequate training on handling of drugs.
Nairobi Senior Inspector for Drugs Julius Kalai said the board mobilised staff from other regional offices to bolster their Nairobi team in order to intensify the crackdown.
PPB is also targeting premises that don’t meet the set standards for use as facilities for purposes of dispensing medicinal drugs, Kaluai said.
“[The] majority of those netted were in Kariobangi South, Dandora, Kangemi and Kariobangi North where most faulty premises were found. And most of the faulty premises were being manned by professionals,” he said.
One is required to have a diploma or a degree in pharmacology from a credited institution in order to practice.
In addition, one has to be taken through a thorough PPB examination procedure before registered by the board as a professional member to get a license to open the facilities.
The drugs and the premises where the chemists are situated must also be approved by the board.
The approval of the premises is given after meeting the set sanitation requirements, including adequate supply of clean water, functional drainage and conducive inventory for storage of the drugs.
“The major problem is that many licensed premises are run by unlicensed persons, while some of those licensed operate in illegal premises,” Kaluai said.
Kaluai was speaking at Kasarani police station where his team took two people arrested during a crackdown in the area.
He said the Judiciary has given the board adequate support by issuing hefty fines to the quacks and professionals violating the regulations as deterrent.
The official said suspects have been taken to courts where they were released on cash bails of between Sh80,000 and Sh100,000.
Accredited pharmacists supported the PPB and called on the board to ensure that the quacks are wiped out.
"We are dealing with human lives and it should not be business for the mere purpose of making profits. We should always remember that our role is to take care of patients and ensure they recover," Simon Gathecha, a pharmacist, said.