NDA closes 102 drug outlets in West Nile

A five-day operation by officials from the National Drug Authority (NDA) in West Nile has finally paid off.

During the inspection process which ended on Friday, NDA that is mandated to ensure "the public accesses safe, efficacious and quality human and veterinary medicine from licensed drug outlets manned by qualified medical personnel" closed drug outlets that did not meet the minimum requirements.

The operation that started on November 2 targeted drug outlets that were not complying with licensing requirements in addition to dealing with unauthorised medicines.

Samuel Kyomukama, the head of operations at NDA, said they covered the eight districts of Arua, Nebbi, Zombo, Maracha, Koboko, Terego, Yumbe, and Madi Okollo. The operations led to the inspection of 305 drug outlets, out of which, 177 were licensed, 120 unlicensed, and 11 were operating illegally.

The officials went ahead to close 102 outlets citing incompetence. They also impounded 160 boxes of assorted drugs of which 28 boxes of assorted medicines were collected by the owners upon fulfilling the licensing requirements.

Kyomukama said the operations and post-market surveillance activities were intended to protect the population from substandard, counterfeit, unauthorised, and other health care products.

The officials appealed to the public to strictly buy medicines from outlets that are licensed by NDA and take them as prescribed by qualified health workers to avoid exposure to health risks.

John Aleleu, the acting NDA regional manager for West Nile, said a handful of drug outlet operators faced the challenge of transport and far distance to access the NDA offices to process the requirements needed.

Other clients complain of a decline in business affecting the renewal of license. 

"We do not allow drug outlets to operate without licences but we have embarked on massive sensitisation to ensure they comply," Aleleu said.

He said NDA faces a challenge of non-approved drugs from neighboring South Sudan and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo sold in Uganda. Drugs from the DRC and South Sudan infiltrate into Uganda through illegal border points.

Aleleu said they had continued to impound drugs that are not approved to be sold in Uganda and cautioned the public to desist from buying such drugs.
 
"As NDA, we ensure drugs sold in Uganda should be registered before the public can access them for treatment," he added.

Government drugs impounded

The officials impounded malaria drugs with the trademark, "Government of Uganda: Not for sale" from Barakala Modern drug shop. Aleleu said the sale of government drugs in private drug outlets deprived the locals of accessing better health services and medicine provided by the Government.

The operations team arrested one person and registered a case at Arua City Police Station under CRB 46/05/11/2020. 

Meanwhile, the unqualified personnel was advised not to operate to avoid the wrong prescription of drugs to the public.

Herbalists were warned to desist from street vending of drugs. Aleleu said all herbalists should be registered with NDA and desist from hawking drugs and their products on the streets.

NDA appealed to all herbalists to notify and register their products for approval before operating. 

Those dealing in herbal medicine should have trained personnel with certificates and licenses to handle herbal products to the public.

The drugs impounded in the operation were valued at sh56m. 

Amina Oledria, from whose drug shop government drugs were impounded in Barakala in Yumbe district, confessed buying the antimalarial drugs from a hawker who visited her drug outlet and sold them to her.

She apologised and confessed, asking for leniency from the officials of NDA.

Oledria buys a strip of antimalarial drugs at sh2,000 and sells them to the locals at sh3,500, making a profit of Sh1,500 on each strip of government antimalarial drugs.

NDA officials say, sale of government drugs in private clinics sabotages government efforts in combating health risks and exposes the public to expensive treatment.