Close all illegal drug shops countrywide

The question of closing drug shops that lack licence is back in the news again. Going by the story, ‘280 drug shops closed over lack of licences’ in the Daily Monitor of Monday, November 18, you arrive at the conclusion that much work still needs to be done in order to end the operation of unlicensed drug shops in the country.
The operation, in which the National Drug Authority (NDA), closed 283 drug shops in 14 districts and also impounded 362 boxes of assorted medicines valued at Shs126.7 million across western Uganda, is further proof of the challenge it poses to the health sector. Worse still, many of the drug shops do not have qualified personnel.

The closure of illegal drug outlets is a drastic, but a crucial step taken by NDA given the fact that these illegal shops could be run by unscrupulous individuals whose aim is to profiteer, but not to save lives. These shops may sell expired and unapproved medicines to unsuspecting patients, hence endangering their lives. Yet according to Ms Farida Khauka, the NDA manager, “medicine in the hands of unqualified persons exposes the patient to wrong prescription, drug resistance and other health-related risks or complications, including death.”

It is high time the Ministry of Health ascertained the reason for the proliferation of unlicensed drug shops across the country. Is it because patients can’t find drugs in public health facilities that they are compelled to visit the nearest drug shop to buy the drugs they need? Are public hospitals located far away from the patients?
Besides, by not licensing the drug shops, the operators are avoiding paying taxes, and ultimately, this reduces the revenue the government very much needs to carry out infrastructure development such as constructing roads, hydropower dams, and other priority projects.

The drug shops that operate without licences could also be conduits for selling stolen government medicines and related supplies. Little wonder that more often than not, patients who visit public health facilities get the right prescriptions of drugs, but they have to buy drugs outside the public facilities.
Most importantly, NDA should find a way of sensitising the public on drug shops. To do this, NDA can work with RDCs and Local Councils, among others.

Like the NDA manager advises that patients should seek advice from qualified health professionals and buy medicine from licensed outlets, NDA should not relent in ridding the country of drug shops that are not licensed.