Regulator cracks whip on rogue pharmaceutical practitioners

November 3, 2022 – The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) is conducting a joint investigative and follow-up regulatory inspection within the Nairobi region targeting illegal pharmaceutical outlets.

The exercise which targets outlets that were previously closed down by the Board is also investigating profiled wholesale pharmacies who deliberately evade the routine wholesale audit.

Head of Inspectorate and Enforcement at the PPB, Julius Kaluai has confirmed that the Board is enforcing closure of non-compliant pharmaceutical premises which were previously closed down.

The PPB is the National Drug Regulatory Authority in the Ministry of Health, established under the Pharmacy and Poisons Act Cap 244 Laws of Kenya to regulate the practice of pharmacy and ensure safety, quality and efficacy of Medical Products and Health Technologies.

Besides the investigation, the Board is also conducting stakeholder engagement and sensitization on its mandate focusing on the key players involved in the criminal justice systems such as the police, ODPP and the judicial officers.

Kaluai said the exercise has revealed that out of 120 pharmaceutical premises which were issued with closure notices, 79 outlets completely seized operations, 11 complied with the regulations and 30 outlets defied the statutory order to close down by defacing the closure notice and mutating as new outfits.

“We have managed to locate and arrest the 30 violator practitioners and seized their merchandise. They have all been registered for prosecution in various courts within Nairobi and Kajiado counties,” Kaluai said.

Also arrested were five wholesale dealers in pharmaceuticals for violating Cap 244 provisions.

“Investigations are underway to ensure the owners are also arrested and prosecuted as well as revoking their licenses,” he said.

In a press statement on Sunday Kaluai noted that all practitioners in the affected premises shall further be subjected to disciplinary mechanisms at the Board.

He called upon the public to avoid chemists bearing no names on display or have no signage. “This is a key indicator of an illegal pharmaceutical premise,” Kaluai warned.

The public are further advised to verify the registration details of pharmacy practitioners at the community pharmacies, hospital pharmacies as well as any other drug dispensing premises. The details can be verified from https://practice.pharmacyboardkenya.org/LicenseStatus.

The public can also report suspected practitioners via email at info@pharmacyboardkenya.org.