Strengthening Pharmacy Practice and Health-Product Regulation for Safer Healthcare

Nairobi, Kenya – The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) is strengthening the regulation of pharmacy practice and health products and technologies to protect patients and support the delivery of Universal Health Coverage.

Reforms showcased at the Kenya Health Summit 2026 from 18th to 19th August 2026 include the licensing of 15,679 pharmaceutical professionals and 11,141 pharmaceutical premises. PPB has also introduced Kenya’s first Good Pharmacy Practice Standards and assessed 605 facilities across 43 counties to strengthen compliance and improve pharmaceutical services.

The Board has digitised regulatory services through Practice360 and Facility360. Practice360 manages the registration, licensing and professional development of pharmacists and pharmaceutical technologists, while Facility360 supports the licensing, inspection and compliance monitoring of pharmaceutical premises.

The platforms have improved access to regulatory services and enhanced transparency. Members of the public can also confirm whether a pharmacy is licensed by scanning the QR code displayed on its licence.

PPB has expanded post-market surveillance of medicines, vaccines, medical devices and other health products through inspections, product sampling, laboratory testing and investigations. The Board has reviewed 1,413 product-quality complaints, coordinated 99 product recalls and issued 14 rapid alerts. Enforcement operations have also led to 95 arrests and the closure of 48 non-compliant premises.

Medicine-safety monitoring has been extended to all 47 counties through web, mobile and USSD reporting channels. PPB has reviewed 32,833 adverse drug reaction reports, supporting the early identification of safety concerns and timely regulatory action.

To address substandard and falsified medical products, the Board has established a multisectoral committee comprising health, regulatory, customs, security and law-enforcement agencies. The committee coordinates intelligence-sharing, investigations and enforcement while strengthening controls at ports of entry.

PPB is also working with the Digital Health Agency to introduce a national Track and Trace system that will monitor health products from the manufacturer or importer to the patient. The system will improve supply-chain visibility and support the detection of substandard, falsified and illegally imported products.

The Board is supporting local pharmaceutical manufacturing through Good Manufacturing Practice inspections, technical guidance, product registration and capacity-building. Regulatory support is being provided to 13 new pharmaceutical manufacturers at different stages of establishment, helping to expand local production while maintaining the required standards of quality, safety and effectiveness.

These reforms are building a modern, science-based and digitally enabled regulatory system that responds to public-health needs while supporting innovation, investment and sustainable healthcare.

As Kenya advances Universal Health Coverage, PPB will continue strengthening regulatory oversight and improving service delivery to ensure every Kenyan has access to safe, quality and effective health products and pharmaceutical services.

Members of the public are encouraged to obtain medicines only from licensed pharmacies and verify that pharmaceutical professionals, premises and health products are registered by PPB. Suspected substandard or falsified products and unexpected reactions following the use of medicines, vaccines or medical devices should be reported promptly through the Board’s official channels.

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