New measures to curb fake drugs

• All medicines sold in Kenya to be stamped by government

Drugs sold in Kenya will bear a government symbol to curb counterfeits.

However, the fight against the illicit multi-billion shilling drug trade was far from won, Medical Services minister Anyang’ Nyong’o said on Thursday.

The World Health Organisation said three years ago that nearly 25 per cent of pharmaceutical drugs sold in the developing world were fake.

And recent studies suggest a proliferation of fake drugs as the makers acquire more sophisticated equipment.

Speaking during a tour of pharmaceutical companies in Nairobi, Prof Nyong’o complained that the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency and Pharmacy and Poisons Board were failing to stop the entry of fake drugs.

“We have to take drastic measures to safeguard the health of Kenyans. Soon, we will require that all drugs arriving on Kenyan soil and those made locally bear a government symbol,” he said.

The counterfeit drug racket has become increasingly attractive for criminal syndicates due to the huge profits and because the punishment meted out to those caught is much less severe than for dealing in hard drugs like cocaine.

WHO has warned that the increasing availability of counterfeit drugs for malaria and other diseases poses a big threat to public health.

The UN says that global sales of counterfeit drugs, including anti-malarials, could reach $75 billion in a few years.

The decision to stamp drugs with a GoK sign, Prof Nyong’o said, would also help to check theft of government drugs.

“Merely indicating on cartons that the drugs belong to the government is no longer a deterrent in curbing public drugs from being diverted to private businesses,” he said.

He said for every Sh5 billion worth of drugs, an estimated Sh3 billion are diverted.

The minister urged local drug manufacturers to ensure standards are adhered to if they are to continue supplying the government.

He said a law stipulating that at least 15 per cent of government drugs be procured locally had not been enforced and called on the Public Procurement Oversight Authority to speed up the process.

At Lab and Allied Limited, the managing director, Mr Manesh Patel, complained that the liberalised nature of the Kenyan market put pharmaceutical firms at a disadvantage against cheaper drugs made in India and China.