670 pharmacies shut for operating illegally

A pharmacy. The Pharmacy and Poisonous Board in the past one year has closed down 670 illegal outlets. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

A total of 670 illegal pharmacies have been closed down by the Pharmacy and Poisonous Board in the past one year.

Announcing the closures on Thursday, the regulator warned business people against operating outlets illegally as they are putting the lives of Kenyans at risk.

Inspections, Surveillance and Enforcement Director Jacinta Wasike said the owners of 612 out of the 670 closed pharmacies had been charged in court and their products confiscated.

Nairobi County topped the list, with 105 outlets closed. It was followed by the central region, the South Rift, North Rift, Western, Nyanza, and Upper Eastern and Lower Eastern, respectively.

The board has been cracking down on the illegal operations in Nairobi County and its environs.

“Since Monday, we managed to arrest owners of 78 outlets and closed them. The owners will be charged in court,” she said.

Dr Wasike also said the crackdown will be intensified in all counties to get rid of unlicensed pharmacies.