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The government, through the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, conducted a crackdown on unlicensed practitioners operating chemists across the country.
In a statement dated Friday, February 24, the state agency noted that the move was to ensure that all major threats to health and safety were averted.
In the crackdown, 30 people were arrested and prosecuted while at least 70 boxes of assorted health products and technologies were seized.
A pharmacist attending to his store
File
“The board has also noted that some licensed practitioners leave their practice under the care of unqualified personnel, and such practitioners are being investigated for prosecution and revocation of their licenses,” the agency noted.
Additionally, the board announced it was conducting a joint investigative and regulatory inspection in the Upper Eastern and Central regions of Kenya.
This is aimed at investigating, prosecuting, and reporting illegal pharmaceutical outlets, targeted wholesale pharmaceutical outlets, and absentee superintendents, as well as profiling, seizing and closing down illegal pharmaceutical outlets.
Conclusively, the board called upon the public to be on the lookout for illegal pharmaceutical premises.
They were also advised to verify the registration details of pharmacy practitioners at community pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, and any other drug dispensing facilities.
The board urged Kenyans to visit its website to verify the registration details while providing an email to report all suspected illegal pharmaceutical outlets or unqualified personnel.
“The board is committed to ensuring the highest standards of quality, safe and efficacious medicines in Kenya,” read the statement in parts.
In December 2022, 63 people were arrested in the Coast, Nairobi, and Central regions for operating illegal pharmacies in the crackdown.
In liaison with the National Police Service (NPS), 143 boxes of assorted health products and technologies were seized.
National Police Service (NPS) Headquarters, Vigilance House
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