PSU calls for probe into fatal suspected drug mix-up in Butebo
“Medicines are not general commodities and must be handled by pharmacy professionals,” the society said, emphasising the need for qualified personnel to supervise medicine management at health facilities and during outreaches.
In a statement dated October 29, 2026, PSU said the children were reportedly given carbamazepine instead of mebendazole during a health outreach.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU) has called for an independent investigation into a reported medication error at Kabwangasi Health Centre III in Butebo district, where about 25 children were allegedly given the wrong medicine, leaving one dead and more than 20 hospitalised.
In a statement dated October 29, 2026, PSU said the children were reportedly given carbamazepine instead of mebendazole during a health outreach. One child reportedly died at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, while the other affected children were admitted for treatment.
The society expressed condolences to the bereaved family and wished the hospitalised children a quick recovery. It warned that the incident raised serious questions about medicine handling and safety during community outreaches.
PSU said preliminary information indicated that the Butebo incident was the second of its kind in seven months, following a similar incident in March 2026. It said the recurrence pointed to possible systemic weaknesses in medicine storage, labelling and verification before drugs are distributed to patients.
“Medicines are not general commodities and must be handled by pharmacy professionals,” the society said, emphasising the need for qualified personnel to supervise medicine management at health facilities and during outreaches.
PSU attributed part of the wider medicine-management challenge to staffing gaps, noting that Butebo, like several other districts, does not have a district pharmacist and relies on Mbale for pharmaceutical support
Dr Lutoti Stephen, the PSU secretary, said the society wanted every district to have a pharmacist responsible for supervising medicine management. He said this should be supported by a formal hub-and-spoke system through which pharmacists could oversee services at lower-level facilities, including Health Centre IIIs.
In the statement, Lutoti also called for vacant pharmacist positions in the approved public service structure to be filled, arguing that professional supervision was necessary to strengthen medicine safety
For outreaches, PSU recommended involving a pharmacist, assisted by a pharmacy technician, in checking medicines before they leave storage facilities and again while teams are working in the field.
The checks, it said, should establish that the right medicine, with the correct label and dose, is being administered to the intended patient
It also urged health authorities to activate pharmacovigilance procedures, which involve monitoring, documenting and investigating suspected adverse reactions and medicine-related incidents, alongside a full independent investigation.
PSU said its clinical pharmacy team was ready to support the management of the affected children. It also appealed for calm in the Butebo community as health workers continued attending to them.
Ministry responds
Allan Ssempebwa, the health ministry spokesperson, said the ministry was aware of the incident and described it as unfortunate.
“We are now establishing all circumstances that caused this mix-up, endangering the lives of the little children!” he said.
Ssempebwa said the investigation was expected to establish how the wrong medicine was administered and identify the failures that may have contributed to the incident.