Samuel Kyomukama, the Head of Enforcement at the National Drug Authority
The National Drug Authority -NDA has closed several drug outlets that were found being operated by underage children in the West Nile sub-region. The these were among the one hundred pharmacies that were closed in an operation target such outlets that were not compliant with licensing requirements which include being operated by qualified personnel.
The seven-day compliance enforcement operations targeted the districts of Arua, Koboko, Maracha Nebbi, Pakwach, Yumbe and Zombo in the West Nile region.
During the operation, 98 drug outlets that were operating without license or with unqualified personnel were closed and 236 boxes of assorted medicines worth over 60 million shillings were also impounded.
Samuel Kyomukama, Head of Enforcement at the National Drug Authority explains that the operation is part of the mandate of the authority to protect and promote public health through effective regulation of human an animal medicines and health care products.
Kyomukama further warned operators who are still unlicensed to halt all operations until the licensing requirements are fulfilled.
Meanwhile, Emmauel Umirambe, the NDA manager for West Nile region say that though the operations targeted illegal drug outlets in the sub region, they also found out that a number of the outlets are being operated by unqualified persons including children.
But, Dr. Willy Nguma, the Principal Veterinary Officer for Arua District has called upon stakeholders in the sub region to jointly fight the rampant misuse of human an animal medicines s that if not addressed could lead to outbreak of new infectious disease.
According to the NDA, no person was arrested during the just concluded operation unlike in the previous operation in which at least three people were arrested in Nebbi and Arua.
In April last year, a similar operation in the sub region led to the closure of 96 drug shops, 1 pharmacy, 6 clinics and assorted drugs worth UGX89.4 million impounded by
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