Pharmacy and Poisons Board offices in Nairobi/COURTESY
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) has dismissed claims that 90 per cent of pharmacies in Nairobi were selling illegal drugs, saying the findings of a recent newspaper article misrepresented the conclusions of a study on parallel-imported medicines.
In a statement issued Saturday, July 4, the Board said the headline of a newspaper article published June 30, titled "90% of Nairobi Pharmacies Found Selling Illegal Drugs," created the false impression that the medicines assessed were illegal, substandard, falsified or unsafe for use.
According to the regulator, the study did not reach such a conclusion.
"The headline creates the impression that the medicinal products assessed were illegal, substandard, falsified or unsafe for patient use. This does not accurately reflect the findings of the study," the Board's CEO Ahmed Mohamed said.
Mohamed noted that the research was conducted between September 2023 and October 2024 and therefore reflected the regulatory environment that existed during that period.
The Board explained that the medicines assessed were imported through Kenya's parallel importation framework, a legal mechanism established under the Pharmacy and Poisons (Parallel Imported Medicinal Substances) Rules, 2019, to improve access to affordable medicines.
It said all the products evaluated under the study had been approved through the prescribed regulatory process and were manufactured by the original manufacturers in compliance with internationally recognised Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards.
"The medicinal products assessed in the study were approved under this regulatory framework, manufactured by the original manufacturers in compliance with internationally recognised Good Manufacturing Practice standards, and were not found to be substandard, falsified or unsafe for patient use," Mohamed said.
The regulator added that after expanding access to affordable medicines through the parallel importation programme, it introduced additional regulatory reforms to strengthen oversight of the sector.
As part of those reforms, the Board said it has not approved any new applications for parallel-imported medicinal products since October 2025.
The PPB reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that only medicines that meet the required standards of quality, safety and efficacy are available in the Kenyan market.
It also urged the public, media houses and other stakeholders to verify regulatory information with the Board before publication to promote accurate reporting on public health matters.
"The Board encourages the public, the media and all stakeholders to seek accurate regulatory information from the Pharmacy and Poisons Board and to verify regulatory matters before publication in order to promote responsible reporting," the statement said.
