Pharmacists push for medicine supply chain overhaul

For years, Uganda’s medicine supply chain has been plagued by challenges, operating like a complex web where manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and even small pharmacy owners can all import drugs. 

This loose system allowed annual import licences to be granted with little scrutiny, sometimes letting uncertified medicines slip through the cracks. The result was a supply chain vulnerable to counterfeit drugs, poor-quality products, and ultimately, compromised patient safety.

Dr Mudathiru Sserugo, the principal Inspector of Drugs at Uganda’s National Drug Authority (NDA), has been at the forefront of efforts to overhaul this system.

After nearly a decade of advocacy, a new law is set to replace the outdated 1993 National Drug Authority and Policy Act, promising a streamlined, transparent, and safer supply chain.

“This is more than just a policy change,” Sserugo says. 

“It affects every health worker and every patient in Uganda. The way medicines are imported, distributed, and dispensed is being fundamentally restructured.”

Sserugo was a keynote speaker at the World Pharmacists Day celebrations held at Imperial Royale Hotel on September 25, 2025, under the theme “Transforming Pharmacy in Uganda from Compliance to Delivery.”

He said this reform is a simplified chain of custody: medicines will now flow in a clear, regulated path from manufacturer to distributor, distributor to wholesaler, wholesaler to retailer, and finally to the consumer. Unlike before, where anyone with a license could import at will, the law introduces a new licensing category called distributors, who will act as the primary importers responsible for verifying every consignment before it enters Uganda.

“Previously, annual licenses allowed drugs to enter unchecked, and in court, they were still considered legal even if they lacked proper certification,” Sserugo said. 

“The new system requires import permits on a per-consignment basis. No consignment will cross the border without a verification certificate,” he added.

Accordingly, this will close dangerous loopholes that have long threatened the quality in Uganda.

Beyond restructuring the supply chain, the new law enforces higher standards for compliance.

Distributors and all involved in the distribution process will now meet Good Distribution Practice (GDP) requirements and obtain certification.

Pharmacists, who have always been the technical experts, will play a crucial role in ensuring these standards are met.

He said the law also cracks down on prescription practices, mandating that drugs be dispensed only with valid prescriptions, signalling an end to the era of over-the-counter sales of prescription-only medicines.

“Pharmacovigilance, the monitoring and reporting of adverse drug reactions, becomes a legal requirement. Distributors must establish systems to track and report drug safety issues, allowing the NDA to safeguard public health more effectively,” he said.

The principal said that those who are running pharmacies without licences or expired ones will face penalties that include fines up to sh100m for companies operating without licenses and up to sh10m for individuals.

“Even delays in licence renewals will attract fines, underscoring the government’s determination to enforce the new standards,” he said.

To facilitate these sweeping changes, the NDA has launched the Integrated Regulatory Information Management System (IRIMS), a digital platform handling all regulatory processes, including licensing, registration, imports, and drug destruction.

This digital transformation promises transparency and real-time tracking of medicine batches, helping clamp down on counterfeit and substandard drugs.

“IRIMS allows us to track medicines from the moment they enter the country until they reach the consumer,” Sserugo said. 

“Pharmacists must embrace this technology to ensure compliance and improve service delivery.”

The reforms also target Uganda’s heavy reliance on imported medicines, about 90% of the market.

Through the Buy Uganda, Build Uganda (BUBU) policy, the Government has raised tariffs on imported medicines that can be produced locally, incentivising local pharmaceutical manufacturing.

This policy has already boosted the number of local manufacturers from just five a decade ago to 46 today, producing everything from basic saline solutions to vaccines.

He noted that this growth is not only improving drug availability but also strengthening national economic security.

“The future of pharmacy in Uganda lies in supporting local production,” Sserugo said. 

“Pharmacists can leverage opportunities in manufacturing, quality assurance, and laboratory services, especially since the law requires every production line to be supervised by a pharmacist.”

As the pharmacy workforce grows, now numbering over 3,000 professionals, competition for jobs increases, pushing pharmacists to enhance their skills and ethical standards.

The NDA enforces the “one pharmacist, one pharmacy” principle, aiming to maintain quality and professionalism in the sector.

Dr Jonans Tusimire, the president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU) and a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, welcomed the Bill, noting that sanity will be boosted in their profession.

Dr Stephen Lutoti, the secretary of PSU, challenged pharmacists to develop new drugs specifically for the new diseases. 

“Diseases keep on developing, meaning more advanced knowledge is needed.