The National Drugs Authority-NDA has arrested fifteen people in the Greater Masaka sub-region for illegally operating pharmacies. The fifteen were arrested during their weeklong compliance and enforcement operation conducted in the area.
According to Samuel Kyomukama the head of enforcement at NDA, the culprits were found operating unlicensed drug shops and pharmacies in the districts of Kalungu, Masaka, Kalangala, Lwengo, Kyotera, and Gomba.
They were all handed over to police to be charged for carrying out businesses of pharmacists without formal authorization and retailing classified drugs.
Kyomukama says that the arrests followed continuous defiance of the NDA’s prior warnings and instructions to comply with the set standards in their operations.
NDA also impounded 287 boxes of both human and veterinary drugs estimated at 114 Million Shillings from 10 unlicensed outlets that were instantly closed down.
NDA Manager in charge of the Central Region Doctor Muhammad Lukwago says that they want to stop unqualified personnel from dispensing drugs something that raises concerns about safety to the users.
Lukwago has challenged the public to strictly buy drugs from qualified and licensed dealers, as a way of eliminating risks of consuming unsafe drugs.
