Kenya’s Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) has established a fresh drive against fake drugs, after a fake consignment of a common injection used in treating eye-related issues was discovered being sold in the local market.
In a statement released Thursday, PPB Chief Executive Officer Ahmed Mohamed confirmed that the fake Avastin (Bevacizumab 100MG) a drug traditionally prescribed to treat retinal disease and diabetic eye disease is being illegally marketed as having been manufactured by a reputable Swiss pharmaceutical firm. The offending batch number is H0573B01.
“This is a serious public health risk,” Mohamed warned, adding the board is working closely with security agencies to arrest and prosecute persons or companies selling the counterfeit drug. Sale or distribution of unregistered or counterfeit medicines is an outright violation of the Pharmacy and Poisons Act (CAP 244).
PPB is appealing to all stakeholders in the healthcare supply chain from procurement agencies and pharmacists to healthcare practitioners and the general public to be on their guard and report any suspected products at once.
“The board hereby calls on all stakeholders concerned to remain in high alert and to report any case of the counterfeit batch of Avastin via official PPB communication channels,” the statement read.
Complaints can be lodged via PPB’s website portal, the USSD number *271#, the mobile application of the board, or via their hotline at 0795 743 049.
This latest warning came just two months after the countrywide crackdown by the Ministry of Health against spurious drugs in the Kenyan market.
During July, when he toured Nakuru, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale made the statement that war against spurious medicine is far from over and assured the government would act against not just counterfeiters, but also unlicensed chemists and unqualified medical practitioners.
“No one can be selling medicine without qualifications or authorization,” Duale said at the time. “Even in shops, selling or possessing medicine if you are not a qualified pharmacist is illegal.”
The CS was not coy: “There will be no room for fake drugs, fake doctors, and unqualified pharmacists in this country. If you are operating outside the law, prepare to suffer the consequences.”
The PPB states it will continue stepping up watch and enforcement to protect Kenyans from the threat of counterfeit drugs a matter that not only risks lives but also soils the health system of the nation.
