The National Drug Authority issued tough guidelines on drug shops currently operating in Kampala. Starting the next year 2019, the Authority will not renew licenses to drug shops apart from those willing to relocate them outside Kampala. “We are giving them a one-year grace period as it is provided again under the law. So we are taking this one year to be 2018 during which we shall sensitize drug shop operators and we shall encourage them to move out into the peripheral areas. Bu tin 2019, in this particular area which is well served with pharmacies, you will not be able to get a license in this particular area. And actually, the law went ahead to give them those options either they are to move to under-served areas or else they can apply that their business can become a pharmacy business if they meet all the requirements.” Said, Donna Kusemererwa – Secretary to National Drug Authority.
The move according to the Authority is aimed at extending health services closer to those in rural areas. “So we are encouraging drug shop owners because of the limited range of medicines that they can anyway offer under the law to move out to areas where there are no pharmacies because there is a need and then they can provide a service which is not there and that is required by the population.” The decision has caught the operators unaware in an attempt to seek their views about the directive on their businesses many of them operating in the City suburbs of Namuwongo declined to speak on camera. However, we were able to capture some of their views secretly.
This directive will also operate to all municipalities, its only pharmacies that will be allowed to operate in the City and municipalities. “Those are the ones which are within 1.5km from existing pharmacies; those will be phased out. Not only in Kampala but also in other municipalities but of course we encourage them to move to other areas where there are no pharmacies. Why do we do this? We do this because where the pharmacy provides a comprehensive service and it stocks all classes of drugs from class A, B, and C. So when the pharmacy comes in, we do not need the drug shop.” Said, David Nahamya – Director Inspectorate and Enforcement, NDA.
The Authority will also give out incentives to pharmacies willing to operate in rural areas. “We charge more especially for example if you are in Kampala you find that we charge 1 million and if you go to other smaller areas the charges are lower. So that has encouraged, already there is a move from big Cities and municipalities to small towns with some of these incentives that we are giving.”
Following the public outcry from the tick affected areas, the Authority is advising cattle keepers to start using three line of acaricides to kill ticks that have become resistant to existing drugs.
