PRESS STATEMENT

The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (hereinafter ‘the Board’) is National Drug Regulatory Authority in the Ministry of Health, established under the Pharmacy and Poisons Act Cap 244 Laws of presKenya to regulate the practice of pharmacy and ensure safety, quality and efficacy of Medical Products and Health Technologies.

The Board is partnering with the National Police service for a joint follow-up pharmaceutical regulatory operation in Upper Eastern region, Coast region, Lower Eastern region, and Kiambu county. The focus is to thwart irregular pharmaceutical practices in the identified areas under the mentioned zones.

The objective of the exercise is to enforce closure of non-compliant pharmaceutical premises which were previously closed down. The exercise seeks to augment the routine inspections carried out through the PPB regional offices concerned.

The Board is also targeting licensed pharmacies to audit the handling of controlled medicines and prescription medicines in line with the Pharmacy regulations.

The team is also executing warrants of arrest relating to Pharma 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. The major outcome is to enhance Surveillance and Enforcement of Good Distribution Practices for Health Products and Technologies (HPTs) in the country, as well as to carry out stakeholder

engagement and sensitization on PPB mandate focusing on the key players involved in the criminal justice systems such as the police,ODPP and the judicial officers.
The Board has observed premises branding which does not match the name as per the licenses; The practitioners are advised to rebrand the premises so that the name strictly matches the approved name as per the license.

The ongoing operation that commenced on 5th June 2022 has seen Seventy two (72) offenders being apprehended and a total seizure of at least One hundred and twenty two (122) cartons of assorted (HPTs) found in the illegal premises. The arrests have so far being made as follows;

• Lower Eastern region=18
• Kiambu county=15
• Upper Eastern region=89
• Coast region-=19

The seized medicines shall be disposed off as guided through the issued court orders and in accordance with the PPB guidelines and operational SOPs on disposal of pharmaceutical waste.

The Board wishes to guide the public that chemists bearing no names on display is a key pointer to an illegal pharmaceutical outlets.The public is advised to verify the registration details of pharmacy practitioners from.. https://practice.pharmacyboardkenya.org/LicenseStatus

Unregistered practitioners should be reported via info@pharmacyboardkenya.org or 0702475801.
The Board further makes an appeal to all the stakeholders to familiarize themselves with the amended guidelines for Good Distribution practices for pharmaceuticals which are available in the PPB website. https://web.pharmacyboardkenya.org/downloads/guidelines/

KALUAI JULIUS
HEAD, GOOD DISTRIBUTION PRACTICES

FOR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER