•The exercise which began on Sunday last week aims to thwart irregular pharmaceutical practices
•During the operation, at least 72 people were arrested and 112 cartons of assorted drugs found in the illegal premises.
Image: MAGDALINE SAYA
The government has tightened its grip on pharmacies to stop the growing abuse of controlled medicines.
This comes after reports of the sale of certain drugs to individuals who use them to stupefy revelers in clubs and rob them.
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board is now targeting licensed pharmacies to ensure an audit on the handling of controlled and prescription drugs.
The board in collaboration with the National Police Service has been conducting joint crackdowns with the latest operation ongoing in Upper Eastern, Coast, Lower Eastern and Kiambu regions.
The exercise, which began on Sunday last week, aims to thwart irregular pharmaceutical practices in identified areas.
Also on the agenda is the enforcement of the closure of non-compliant pharmaceutical premises previously closed down and to augment the routine inspections carried out through the PPB regional offices concerned.
During the operation, at least 72 people were arrested and 112 cartons of assorted drugs found in the illegal premises.
Data by the PPB shows that 89 arrests have so far been made in the Upper Eastern region, 19 in the Coast, 18 in the Lower Eastern and 15 in Kiambu.
“The seized medicines shall be disposed as guided through the issued court orders and in accordance with the PPB guidelines and operational on disposal of pharmaceutical waste,” head of Good Distribution Practice at PPB Julius Kaluai said on Sunday.
“The board has observed premises branding which do not match the name as per the licences. The practitioners are advised to rebrand so that the name strictly matches the approved name as per the licence."
Last month, pharmacists called for stringent guidelines to control the buying and distribution of controlled drugs before it becomes a national disaster.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya said existing gaps such as a requirement for a signed prescription have resulted in dangerous medications and rampant use of stupefying drugs.
They further called for a review of the penalties for those found in illegal possession of the controlled drugs.
Currently, those found in illegal possession of controlled drugs are subjected to a fine of as low as Sh5,000 as per the Pharmacy and Poisons Act Cap 244.
According to Kaluai, the team is also executing warrants of arrest relating to pharmaceutical crimes.
“These warrants were issued by various courts under the specified jurisdiction after the suspects absconded the court obligations following prosecutions related to Cap 244 violations,” he said.
The board has been carrying out sensitisation to stakeholders including the Judiciary to educate them on the importance of the exercise.
This has seen an improvement in the fines, with those charged with crimes being released on a cash bail of as high as Sh50,000 to Sh200,000
The board has however requested the courts to further enhance fines for those found guilty, in line with the fines in the amended Cap 244, to act as a deterrent.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)
Image: MAGDALINE SAYA