No more new drug shops in Kampala
Dec 05, 2009
THE National Drug Authority (NDA) has banned the establishment of new drug shops in Kampala, the body’s head of drug inspection announced on Thursday.
By Lydia Namubiru
THE National Drug Authority (NDA) has banned the establishment of new drug shops in Kampala, the body’s head of drug inspection announced on Thursday.
Speaking at the drug inspectors’ Annual General Meeting at Fairway Hotel in Kampala, Kate Kikule said starting next year, only pharmacies will be licensed to operate in Kampala. And even these, he added, must not be set up within the central division.
The freeze, according to Kikule, is aimed at encouraging investors in pharmaceutical services to spread out to other areas of the country that are currently underserved.
“We have restricted Kampala because we consider it well served. About 80% of the drug outlets in the country are located in Kampala,†Kikule explained.
In addition to the central division, 19 surburbs of Kampala will also not get any knew drug outlets. They include Wandegeya, Mulago Ntinda, Bwaise, Bugolobi, Muyenga, Namuwongo and Nsambya. Others are Nakulabye, Mengo, Makindye, Kansanga, Kibuye, Banda Kireka, Bweyogerere, Kabalagala, Nateete and Kibuli.
The move is in line with the the drug body’s policy on equitable distribution of pharmaceutical services in the country, which started in 1998.
Under this policy, NDA controls the distribution of drug services by banning the opening up of drug outlets in those areas that are considered sufficiently served and levying lower fees from investors that choose to set up outlets in underserved areas.
“The policy has had an impact in spreading pharmaceutical services to underserved areas. In 2004, for instance, West Nile did not have even one pharmacy. Today, there are 17 pharmacies in the region,†Kikule says.
Some 15 towns and municipalities upcountry will also not get anymore new pharmacies or drug shops. Jinja, Iganga, Gulu, Lira, Arua, Soroti and Fort Portal towns are some of those banned from getting new drug outlets. In the same way, no new drug outlets will be licensed for Masaka, Kasese, Mbarara, Mbale, Tororo, Hoima and Mukono towns.
Other restrictions of location of pharmacies and drug shops will also be strictly implemented in the coming year. For instance, drug shops around the country shall be required to leave atleast one and half kilometres between their location and that of a retail pharmacy.
Those that already exist but are within 500m of a pharmacy are going to be compelled to upgrade to a pharmacy, re-locate further away or close shop.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda ha s supported the NDA’s decision, saying it is based on the law.
“We discussed and agreed on those guidelines before they came out,†the society’s secretary, Swaibu Mukiibi, told Saturday Vision. He argued that drug shops are now irrelevant in Kampala, since the district has enough pharmacies.
“By law, the drug shops were a temporary measure to provide service in the absence of pharmacies. Now you cannot go more than one and a half kilometre within Kampala and not find a pharmacy. So, legally you cannot continue having drug shops,†Mukiibi added.
A drug shop is a retail outlet which sells only the simplest of drugs classified by NDA as Class C or over-the-counter drugs, which do not need prescription such as panadol and Hedex. A drug shop may be manned by a pharmacy technician, nurse or any other medical cadre.
A pharmacy is a larger outlet running under the supervision of a qualified and registered pharmacist. This outlet may sell all the classes of drugs from the simplest (class C) to the most sensitive (class A).
THE National Drug Authority (NDA) has banned the establishment of new drug shops in Kampala, the body’s head of drug inspection announced on Thursday.
Speaking at the drug inspectors’ Annual General Meeting at Fairway Hotel in Kampala, Kate Kikule said starting next year, only pharmacies will be licensed to operate in Kampala. And even these, he added, must not be set up within the central division.
The freeze, according to Kikule, is aimed at encouraging investors in pharmaceutical services to spread out to other areas of the country that are currently underserved.
“We have restricted Kampala because we consider it well served. About 80% of the drug outlets in the country are located in Kampala,†Kikule explained.
In addition to the central division, 19 surburbs of Kampala will also not get any knew drug outlets. They include Wandegeya, Mulago Ntinda, Bwaise, Bugolobi, Muyenga, Namuwongo and Nsambya. Others are Nakulabye, Mengo, Makindye, Kansanga, Kibuye, Banda Kireka, Bweyogerere, Kabalagala, Nateete and Kibuli.
The move is in line with the the drug body’s policy on equitable distribution of pharmaceutical services in the country, which started in 1998.
Under this policy, NDA controls the distribution of drug services by banning the opening up of drug outlets in those areas that are considered sufficiently served and levying lower fees from investors that choose to set up outlets in underserved areas.
“The policy has had an impact in spreading pharmaceutical services to underserved areas. In 2004, for instance, West Nile did not have even one pharmacy. Today, there are 17 pharmacies in the region,†Kikule says.
Some 15 towns and municipalities upcountry will also not get anymore new pharmacies or drug shops. Jinja, Iganga, Gulu, Lira, Arua, Soroti and Fort Portal towns are some of those banned from getting new drug outlets. In the same way, no new drug outlets will be licensed for Masaka, Kasese, Mbarara, Mbale, Tororo, Hoima and Mukono towns.
Other restrictions of location of pharmacies and drug shops will also be strictly implemented in the coming year. For instance, drug shops around the country shall be required to leave atleast one and half kilometres between their location and that of a retail pharmacy.
Those that already exist but are within 500m of a pharmacy are going to be compelled to upgrade to a pharmacy, re-locate further away or close shop.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda ha s supported the NDA’s decision, saying it is based on the law.
“We discussed and agreed on those guidelines before they came out,†the society’s secretary, Swaibu Mukiibi, told Saturday Vision. He argued that drug shops are now irrelevant in Kampala, since the district has enough pharmacies.
“By law, the drug shops were a temporary measure to provide service in the absence of pharmacies. Now you cannot go more than one and a half kilometre within Kampala and not find a pharmacy. So, legally you cannot continue having drug shops,†Mukiibi added.
A drug shop is a retail outlet which sells only the simplest of drugs classified by NDA as Class C or over-the-counter drugs, which do not need prescription such as panadol and Hedex. A drug shop may be manned by a pharmacy technician, nurse or any other medical cadre.
A pharmacy is a larger outlet running under the supervision of a qualified and registered pharmacist. This outlet may sell all the classes of drugs from the simplest (class C) to the most sensitive (class A).