Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has challenged members of the pharmaceutical society of Kenya (PSK) to uphold professional standards and protect the integrity of pharmacy practice and collaborate closely with Pharmacy and Poisons Board to ensure professionalism in the sector.
According to DP Gachagua the pharmaceutical industry in Kenya faces challenges related to regulatory issues which affect access to healthcare especially with the infiltration of counterfeit drugs in the market.
“We cannot deliver UHC when up to 30 percent of drugs are fake. We cannot spur local manufacturing when fake and counterfeit drugs are scooping up to 15 billion shillings of the market share,” said Gachagua.
The DP was Speaking in Mombasa as he presided over the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya’s (PSK) 60th -ISPE International Scientific conference on June 12, 2024.
The theme of the conference, “Pharmacists Transforming Policy, Practice, and Patient Safety,” aligns with the aspirations of the Kenya Kwanza Administration and the needs of the people. Gachagua called on the PSK to play a crucial role in instilling professional standards and supporting other agencies to ensure that products are safe, secure, effective, accessible, and affordable for all.
Gachagua called for the creation and strengthening of local, regional, and international networks to address the menace of substandard and counterfeit drugs. He emphasized that building supply chain resilience would reduce the negative impacts of global disruptions, as witnessed during COVID-19.
He urged pharmacists to use the anniversary as an opportunity to refocus and prioritize strategies that contribute to the health sector and President William Ruto’s administration’s vision of transforming Kenya.
Gachagua tasked the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) and the Veterinary Medicine Directorate (CMD) with working alongside other agencies to protect the market, thereby boosting investor confidence in manufacturing.
He emphasized the necessity of an intensive, coordinated, and sustained crackdown on crooked suppliers and dealers to drive economic growth.
The DP warned of the potent danger of counterfeit and falsified drugs saying that they often contain substandard or even harmful ingredients, rendering them ineffective or, worse, life-threatening.
He called on pharmacists to protect their profession from unethical practices and quacks who, he noted, were infiltrating the industry and colluding with licensed practitioners.
Gachagua condemned practices such as leasing out licenses and running back-end services for counterfeit drugs, which erode public trust in the profession.
He called on the PSK to censure such members while protecting those upholding professional standards.
The Deputy President also linked the fight against fake and counterfeit drugs with the war on drug abuse, noting the rampant nature of drug abuse in society. He criticized some PSK members for being complicit in this vice by facilitating the sale of controlled medicines to the youth, and urged them to join the fight against drug abuse.
The DP outlined Kenya’s ambition to become a leading regional hub for the production of medicines and healthcare supplies to reduce costs and ensure accessibility for all citizens.
The DP also highlighted the importance of the Kenya Drugs Authority Bill (KDA) 2022, which proposes the establishment of a single regulatory body for human and animal medicines in line with the Health Act, 2017.
He expounded that the KDA bill aim to consolidate and strengthen regulatory systems in the supply chain and help Kenya meet the World Health Organization’s Maturity Level 3 Standards, while boosting the competitiveness of locally manufactured medicines.
