Quacks, fake drugs pose risk to Kenyans

By Ally Jamah

Kenya is experiencing a biting shortage of pharmaceutical professionals to offer quality medicines while production and importation of counterfeit drugs runs high.

This came into focus during discussions at the annual dinner of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya.

The Government Chief Pharmacist Dr Kipkerich Koskei lamented the high prevalence of counterfeit drugs in Kenya, saying they are smuggled through the porous borders.

"Counterfeit medicines pose a major risk to public health, especially to patients with life-threatening conditions. Patients are driven to the counterfeits by the high cost of legitimate medicines, Dr Koskei said.

He revealed that the Government is implementing measures to stem the inflow of counterfeits including using mini-labs at point of entry.

Mount Kenya University Chairperson Simon Gicharu said the training of pharmaceutical professionals has been, for a long time, the preserve of a few institutions, which cannot meet the huge demand in the market.

"Since private universities started offering training in pharmacy, we hope this shortage will ease in the coming years and help Kenyans get quality health care," he said.

Mr Gicharu revealed that it was especially difficult to find pharmaceutical professionals with postgraduate degrees, to teach in universities or work in various institutions.

He urged the Government to support private institutions that have taken up the training of pharmaceutical professionals, saying it is expensive to do so.

MKU is importing Sh100 million worth of pharmaceutical equipment for use by its pharmacy students.

Registered pharmacies

Dr Paul Mwaniki, chairperson of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya, said the organisation would soon release a list of all registered pharmacies to protect Kenyans from quacks.

"We want to make sure that Kenyans are served by duly qualified and registered personnel. Kenyans should register complaints with us for action," he said.

Narc-Kenya party leader Martha Karua, who was the chief guest at the dinner, said pharmaceutical professionals should get their act together or face the wrath of the constitution.

"When a patient buys pharmaceutical products that end up being harmful, their rights have been violated and have a right to ask for compensation under Article 48 of the Constitution," she said.