Senate probes dubious referrals, expired drugs in public hospitals

Senate CPIC Committee Chair Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi at Bunge Towers, Nairobi, on March 25, 2025. [File, Standard]

Senators have expressed concern over the continued presence of expired medicines in public health facilities, highlighting the significant health risks posed to millions of Kenyans.

Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi noted that over the last three financial years, the Auditor General has flagged the presence of large quantities of expired drugs in numerous public health facilities across counties, an issue that requires urgent attention.

Osotsi stressed that this situation poses a great risk to the lives of Kenyans seeking treatment in public hospitals, as there is no way to know when a staff member might administer such medication to unsuspecting patients.

The senator also pointed out a troubling trend where medical professionals in public hospitals refer patients to privately owned pharmacies to purchase medicines. He urged counties to cease renewing the licenses of such facilities to prevent the siphoning of medications.

"Recently, Mombasa County government announced that it would not renew licenses of pharmacies operating near public hospitals. We urge other counties to follow suit to address this issue," said Osotsi.

The Vihiga Senator has requested that the house be informed of the total value of expired drugs in public health facilities between the financial years 2022/2023 and 2024/2025 and the viability of a policy to regulate chemists and pharmacies operating near public health facilities in the counties.

Osotsi sought clarification on why county health facilities continue to stock expired drugs, including whether county staff or private health facilities may be involved in the pilferage of medicines.

He also called for an investigation into supply chain gaps at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) that may contribute to the distribution of expired or short-shelf-life drugs.

Additionally, he proposed leveraging technology in hospitals to monitor stock levels, expiry dates, and other key data to prevent such issues.

Nominated Senator Tabitha Mutinda told the House that during a recent visit to Wajir, Marsabit, and Mandera counties, the Senate Health Committee found expired drugs in Mandera and missing stock from records.

"We also found that pharmacists were relying on their personal laptops to input and store data, instead of counties providing a centralised digital system for proper inventory management and stock tracking. We also noted that some hospitals lacked pharmaceutical technicians and pharmacists," said Mutinda.

The nominated senator raised concerns about the prescription and issuance of medications and urged the Chief Executive Officer of the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, Dr Fred Siyoi, to take immediate action.

Mutinda added that governors had informed them that since the implementation of the Social Health Authority, many new pharmacies and private clinics have been established, most of which are suspected to be owned by the same pharmacists and clinical officers who work for the counties. She called for the Pharmacy and Poisons Board to take action to ensure that competent and qualified personnel are responsible for dispensing drugs in public health facilities.

"It seems that inspections are not being carried out as they should. In one county, we found expired drugs still on the shelves, raising serious concerns about where the problem lies," said Mutinda.

She also pointed out the poor conditions in some hospitals, such as maternity wings without running water, bathrooms that lacked basic amenities, and taps that had run dry, with no doors in sight.

Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu emphasised that the issue of expired medicines in public hospitals is a serious concern, especially as the Auditor General continues to flag their presence.

She noted that this not only poses risks to patients but is also a waste of resources, given the high cost of medicines. According to Nyamu, the root cause is poor inventory management, which leads to an oversupply of certain drugs while essential ones remain in short supply.

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei expressed concern over the lack of drugs in hospitals in his county, despite the county government allocating over Sh300 million per year for the procurement of drugs.

Bomet Senator Hillary Sigei lamented the deplorable state of health facilities across counties, which have led to a complete failure by county governments to effectively manage the health sector.

Senate Health Committee Vice Chairperson Mariam Omar announced that the committee, during recess, plans to visit health facilities in all 47 counties to assess the quality of services offered to the public.