60% of pharmacies don't meet standards

Pharmacists are asking the National Drug Authority (NDA) to provide drug dealers with Identity cards that they will present (to pharmacist) before buying drugs. This will help to eliminate fake drug dealers who buy from them when they have no qualifications of dispensing the drugs.

This request was presented to the National Drug Executive Director, Donna Kusemererwa by the head of Ayden pharmaceuticals, one of the big pharmaceuticals in the country.

"NDA requires us to have records of people who buy from us, we get unqualified people who buy medicine from us and go and sell it in buses and streets hence ending up giving wrong prescription to people," said Riaz Omar, a pharmacist at Ayden.

The Executive Director National Drug Authority (NDA), Donna Kusemererwa instructing the removed of drugs from the fridge at Midas Care Uganda Limited pharmacy and be transferred in the pharmaceutical fridge during the familiarization tour on Tuesday, October 04, 2016. Photo by Shamim Saad.

"We get so many people who are unqualified. And if we refuse to sell the drugs to them, they go and get the drug from another pharmacy. And we end up also losing money. Let the authority help us," said Regan Kyolaba, a pharmacist at Rely Pharmacy on Wilson Street.

In reply to their request, Kusemererwa asked all pharmacist to go and attend a pharmacist general meeting at the NDA headquarters.

Meanwhile during the operation, the inspectors found out that most pharmacies in the city center do not meet the NDA standards.

Most the pharmacies like Midas Care Ltd, Andyco, Ayden and Escorts Pharmaceuticals, had rusty fridges, the medicine was poorly stored, syrups, injectable and vaccines were mixed together. Some medicines were stored in dirty boxes and placed on dirty floors. Others had expired drugs and some did not have where to put expired drugs. Some of the fridges were storing food and vaccines. At Midas pharmaceuticals, hepatitis B Vaccine was mixed with orange juice in a Rwenzori fridge.