Drug authority opens office in Arua
May 09, 2009
THE National Drug Authority (NDA) has established an office in Arua town to coordinate its activities in the West Nile region.
By Frank Mugabi
THE National Drug Authority (NDA) has established an office in Arua town to coordinate its activities in the West Nile region.
The office, the seventh in the country, was opened at a ceremony presided over by the Arua resident district commissioner, Ibrahim Abiriga last week.
The drug regulatory body’s chairman, Frank Mwesigye, said the office will regulate both human and veterinary medicines and other health-related products in the region.
He revealed that they had equipped the office with a mini-laboratory kit to carry out on the spot tests of drugs.
Apollo Muhairwe, the executive secretary, said 281 drug shops and 10 pharmacies were licensed in the region last year but he called for the opening of more to have an equitable distribution of medicines.
The regional drug inspector, Robert Waiswa, revealed that since opening the office in November, they had received 63 applications to operate class C drug outlets.
Of these, he said, 13 were new applications and 50 renewals.
Waiswa noted that only 31 had been recommended for licensing while 32 were queried for various reasons, including poor storage and sanitary facilities.
He added that others lacked inspection reports and their location was unclear.
Abiriga urged the authority to put more emphasis on testing Chinese and Indian medicines, saying the public was highly suspicious of their quality.
Muhairwe explained that the difference in market price between Chinese, Indian and European medicines was the cost of production, although tests had proven that all drugs are equally effective.
He urged the public to procure drugs from outlets that are licensed by the drug regulatory body in order to avoid buying fake medicines.
THE National Drug Authority (NDA) has established an office in Arua town to coordinate its activities in the West Nile region.
The office, the seventh in the country, was opened at a ceremony presided over by the Arua resident district commissioner, Ibrahim Abiriga last week.
The drug regulatory body’s chairman, Frank Mwesigye, said the office will regulate both human and veterinary medicines and other health-related products in the region.
He revealed that they had equipped the office with a mini-laboratory kit to carry out on the spot tests of drugs.
Apollo Muhairwe, the executive secretary, said 281 drug shops and 10 pharmacies were licensed in the region last year but he called for the opening of more to have an equitable distribution of medicines.
The regional drug inspector, Robert Waiswa, revealed that since opening the office in November, they had received 63 applications to operate class C drug outlets.
Of these, he said, 13 were new applications and 50 renewals.
Waiswa noted that only 31 had been recommended for licensing while 32 were queried for various reasons, including poor storage and sanitary facilities.
He added that others lacked inspection reports and their location was unclear.
Abiriga urged the authority to put more emphasis on testing Chinese and Indian medicines, saying the public was highly suspicious of their quality.
Muhairwe explained that the difference in market price between Chinese, Indian and European medicines was the cost of production, although tests had proven that all drugs are equally effective.
He urged the public to procure drugs from outlets that are licensed by the drug regulatory body in order to avoid buying fake medicines.