The Pharmaceutical Society of Zambia has commended the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority for suspending licenses for 40 retail pharmacies in Lusaka for non-compliance with the provisions of the Medicines and Allied Substances Act (MASA), No. 3 of 2013, part III section 24, subsection 1 to 5 of the laws of Zambia.
PSZ President Jerome Kanyika has expressed hope that this action took into consideration all the due processes and procedures in accordance with the law.
Mr. Kanyika has also appealed to ZAMRA to actualise a very important provision in the current standards of pharmaceutical practice for retail pharmacy on “5.3 on Management/administration” which provides that a Pharmacist or a corporate body of Pharmacists *MUST* own not less than 51% shares in the retail pharmacy to allow the Pharmacist take a stand against unethical practices and undue influence from the proprietor hence improving compliance and professionalism in practice as the retail pharmacy business does not only have the business side but must be balanced with the professional and client service side.
He said the current standards of pharmaceutical practice needs to be reviewed urgently to tune it in line with existing practices and recommendations of internationally recognised organisations such as the current World Health Organisation and International Pharmacy Federation “Guide to good Pharmacy Practice” and therefore, we remain ready to partner with ZAMRA to ensure that this document responds to the current and emerging needs in the standards of practice for effective professional practice and public safety and satisfaction.
On dispensing prescription only medicine, Mr. Kanyika said the PSZ sees this as a big issue that requires a sober, holistic and multi stakeholder approach, from the perception and health seeking behavior of the general members of the public, to diagnostics and prescribing and finally dispensing. We would like to call upon institutions such as ZAMRA, HPCZ, GRZ, NGOs, ZMA and all interested Organisations to partner with us, discuss and find solutions to some of these challenges unique to our country. We strongly feel that pointing out one part of the equation will not give any lasting solution.
He said the current law needs urgent review in order to close the lacunas and loop holes for excellent pharmaceutical regulation.
Last week, the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority suspended certificate of registration of 40 registered retail pharmacies in Lusaka for breech of terms and conditions of the certificate of registration under which their licences was granted.
64 pharmacies were inspected and 40 where found operating without required qualified pharmacists and where ordered to close. in some instances prescription only medicines were dispensed without prescriptions.
Problem is that they only target zambian owned pharmacies and never the Indian ones
Problem with most Zambian owned pharmacies is… they want to work in hospitals during the day, leaving their own pharmacies to unqualified personel. They then take over in the evening when they are free. Moonlighting
64 were inspected and 40 out of 64 got suspended. These are zambians operating these stores. Whether of indian chinese English American that is immaterial. Unless you are a tribalist who sees only the race.
You are saying pharmacists should own 51 percent of the the business! That is the jock of the year, what is wrong with us Zambians, what kind of thinking is this? Evening if you want to be rich quickly is how to get rich? A person invests their money and all in the business n bcoz you are a pharmacist you should just come and take shares in someone’s business, what’s wrong with the current system where a pharmacist is paid a salary, does it mean that when they have shares that is when they will be more professional? If this be the case then doctors must own shares in all the Goverment hospitals, engineers must have shares in construction companies, pilots must have shares in Air lines. Mr pharmacist just work hard raise capital and start your own pharmacy don’t try to hijack other…
People,s businesses they worked hard to establish
What about the numerous illegal pharmacies all over the country in compounds and high density areas. What about traditional healers how do you determine whether the herbs they are giving are poisonous or not. Why are you not also asking for 51% of the traditional healer’s business.