Dispensers oppose pharmacy Bill

Mar 11, 2009

PROFESSIONAL dispensers of medicine have opposed the proposed Pharmacy Profession and Practice Bill 2006, saying it would exclude them from the business.

By Cyprian Musoke

PROFESSIONAL dispensers of medicine have opposed the proposed Pharmacy Profession and Practice Bill 2006, saying it would exclude them from the business.

The dispensers, under their association Allied Health Professionals, told the parliamentary social services committee yesterday that the Bill would restrict the dispensing of medicine to only Pharmacy graduates.

They argued that those who were qualified in dispensing, were professionals in their own right and recognised by the Allied Health Workers Act.

They said the Bill would put them under the control of the proposed pharmacy council, on which they would have no representation.

Their chairman, Chris Kagusa and his deputy, Charles Okiria, said dispensers constituted about 90% of people running retail drug shops.
They said they would rather be under the Allied Health Professionals Act, and not the new Bill.

“These people simply want us under their control,” Okiria said.
The dispensers also objected to a provision in the Bill that compels them to work in partnership with a registered pharmacist.

Ngora MP Francis Epetait said the committee would do everything possible to ensure that the Bill was balanced to both dispensers and pharmacists.

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