Counties on spot over expired drugs
What you need to know:
- According to the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB), only two counties — Kajiado and Taita Taveta — have requested for a certificate of disposal in the last 10 years.
- Hospitals are required to acquire a disposal certificate for all expired drugs from PPB before disposing of them.
County governments have been put on the spot for keeping expired drugs in their custody, exposing the public to unsafe medicines. According to the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB), only two counties — Kajiado and Taita Taveta — have requested for a certificate of disposal in the last 10 years.Hospitals are required toacquire a disposal certificate for all expired drugs from PPB before disposing of them.
According to PPB senior inspector of drugs Julius Kaluai, despite the board writing to the Council of Governors on handling expired drugs, a majority of counties were non-compliant.
Speaking during a press briefing on an ongoing crackdown against illegal chemists and quacks in the upper eastern region, Dr Kaluai said undisposed drugs risk finding their way back to the market. “The counties do not want to invest in the disposal of expired drugs because it is expensive. But they should know that keeping expired medicines is illegal,” Dr Kaluai said.
He observed that during the crackdown targeting Embu, Tharaka Nithi, Meru and Isiolo counties, 46 quacks were arrested and 85 illegal outlets closed. Dr Kaluai also expressed concern over the high number of people from Meru who are graduating from unrecognised colleges that purport to offer courses in pharmaceutical technology. “Most of the illegal premises are in Meru County because there is a high number of quacks. Parents should be keen to know if the college they take their children to is accredited. A pharmacist or pharmaceutical technologist must pass the PPB exam before being approved,” he said.
The official further warned pharmacists against using their credentials to register a premise only to leave it to a quack.
Earlier, Dr Kaluai warned pharmaceutical wholesalers and suppliers against dealing with unregistered outlets.
He said the board was in the process of roping in county governments in ensuring illegal drug stores are not licensed.
"There is a proposal to work with the counties, where they only issue business licences to premises registered by the board. This is work in progress," Dr Kaluai said.
