The Pharmacy and Poisons Board is working with Kemsa to ensure all stocks of recalled ARVs are mopped up and returned to a central place.
The entities are working with the manufacturer to coordinate the reverse logistics of all quarantined stocks.
The PPB in a statement on Friday assured the public that enough mechanisms have been put in place to ensure that medicines supplied to Kenyan market meet the required quality, safety and efficacy standards.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health advised patients to return the ARVs they had received in exchange for others from other manufacturers, even as it assured them of enough stock.
This was after a recall of ARVs supplied by Universal Corporation two weeks ago, due to faulty packaging and black spots on some tablets.
“The PPB has collected several samples from healthcare facilities and they have been submitted to the Quality Control Laboratory for further analysis,” Pharmacy and Poisons Board CEO Dr Fred Siyoi said.
“All healthcare facilities are instructed to quarantine all stocks of the product and accept the products returned by clients,” Siyoi added.
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board ordered a recall of 14 batches containing thousands of tablets after the manufacturer noticed that improper packaging had stained a few tablets.
Dr Siyoi first ordered the recall on November 8 following complaints of discoloured induction seals on some bottles containing a few tablets with unusual black spots.
“We encourage the public to be vigilant at all times and report any suspected poor-quality medicines or adverse drug reactions to the nearest healthcare facility and the PPB,” Siyoi said.
On Wednesday, Health DG Dr Patrick Amoth issued guidelines on the return policy, which requires counseling of all patients on the need to maintain adherence to treatment as other brands are not affected.
