•Those arrested have been booked for prosecution in various courts across the counties.
•The board has also mapped out Namanga, Loitoktok, Ongata Rongai and Kiserian as notorious hotspots of the sale of health products and technologies.
At least 65 people have been arrested in an ongoing crackdown on illegal pharmacies in Nairobi and parts of Kajiado counties.
The joint crackdown conducted by officials from the Pharmacy and Poisons Board and the National Police Service also saw 49 illegal pharmacies shut in Nairobi’s informal settlements of Kibera, Kawangware, Huruma and Kiambio in Eastleigh.
Those arrested have been booked for prosecution in various courts across the counties.
The board has also mapped out Namanga, Loitoktok, Ongata Rongai and Kiserian as notorious hotspots of illegal sale of health products and technologies.
According to the Head of Good Distribution Practices at PPB Julius Kaluai, a total of 150 cartons of assorted pharmaceuticals valued at Sh24 million were seized during the operation.
“The information acquired from the closed premises will aid the board in arresting those who are engaging in malpractice thus endangering the lives of the public,” Kaluai said.
He further explained that the seized pharmaceuticals will be analysed to determine whether they are fit for human consumption or destroyed in accordance to the pharmaceutical waste disposal guidelines.
He also advised members of the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious chemists.
“All pharmaceutical outlets must be manned by qualified persons,” Kaluai added.
He noted that there has been some level of improvement in compliance since PPB intensified its surveillances activities across the country.
Those previously arrested were charged with being in possession of part I poisons while not being an authorized seller of poisons contrary to section 26(1)(b) as read with section 26(2) of the Pharmacy and Poisons Act, Cap. 244 laws of Kenya.
They were also charged with carrying on the business of a pharmacist in premises not registered by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board and operating the business of a pharmacist without the presence of a registered pharmacist.
The regulator, the PPB has been conducting a series of crackdowns in the country to ensure safety, quality and efficacy of medical products and health technologies.
The latest raids have targeted illegal chemists, medicine hawkers, clinics, herbal medicine stores and cosmetic shops stocking medicament containing preparations disguised as cosmetics.
The board has stepped up the fight against substandard, falsely labeled and falsified drugs in a bid to protect Kenyans from dangers posed by the fake products in the market.
So far, the board has an elaborate drug registration system that ensures that only safe, quality and efficacious products are registered.