Breach of Privacy: PSK condemns secret recording of Gachagua at pharmacy

Pharmacy and Poisons Board officeial checks medicine from the shelf at a chemist in Nairobi. [Mercy Kahenda, Standard]

The Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK) has condemned the secret recording of a video showing DCP Party Leader Rigathi Gachagua purchasing and taking medication at a pharmacy outlet, terming it a grave violation of patient privacy and healthcare confidentiality.

In a statement, PSK said it had taken note of the widely shared footage depicting a high-profile public figure being recorded while seeking pharmaceutical services, stressing that such conduct undermines the ethical standards governing healthcare environments. 

"Recording any client in a pharmacy without consent constitutes a serious breach of privacy. Pharmacies are healthcare settings where individuals are entitled to dignity, discretion, and protection of their personal health information", PSK emphasised.

The society underscored that confidentiality in healthcare is a fundamental ethical and professional obligation, not an optional practice. 

They further clarified that pharmacists, as highly trained professionals in pharmacology, therapeutics, clinical decision-making and patient safety, take an oath to prioritise patient welfare, uphold confidentiality and ensure the safe and rational use of medicines.

"Both pharmacists and pharmaceutical technologists are regulated under Kenyan law and bound by strict professional codes of conduct," it added.

However, the identity and licensing status of the outlet and professionals present in the incident are yet to be confirmed.

"Due diligence is underway to establish the facts and determine whether regulatory action is warranted," PSK added.

The society expressed regret over the apparent breach of privacy, reiterating that every Kenyan, regardless of public status, has the right to confidential healthcare.