‘New Bill to kill pharmaceutical industry’s integrity’

PHARMACISTS yesterday said amendments to the Health Professions Act by government would open the industry to unscrupulous people and put the lives of clients at risk. Government a fortnight ago amended section 124 of the Health Professions Act to allow non-practitioners to enter the industry.

But pharmacists said the move would allow non-practitioners and political players to destroy the integrity and ethics of the profession.

This, the pharmacists said, could result in an influx of fake drugs as non-practitioners would not be concerned about ethics or fear of losing operating licences.

“We are actually baffled as a pharmaceutical board on what the aim of the amendment was and we want to engage with the minister as there seems to be a misunderstanding of what a pharmacist is,” Retail Pharmacists Association chairperson Joselyn Chaibva told NewsDay.

“When we talk about pharmacists, it is not only about a person serving medicine over the counter, but we are talking of quality control standards. My feeling is that if we want to achieve universal health coverage by 2030, the (Health) ministry must invest in local pharmaceutical production and in human resources who work in both private and public institutions.”

She said the board was seeking clarification from Vice-President and Health minister Constantino Chiwenga.

“We need qualified persons so that there is responsible use of medicines. Regarding the amendments, probably someone just looked at the sales racked in the sector and said we want to open it to non-practitioners and that is total misdirection.

“I think the problem that we are currently facing is with regards to funding and investment in the sector and we are actually looking for investors, which is not an issue but that’s where guidelines come in.”

Pharmacist Kuda Fumhirwa said: “It’s all about people who just want to displace pharmacists from their profession.

“We just want our 100% full operation not the 51% that we are being told about. It’s one politically powerful person who wants to venture into our line of business.”

One pharmaceutical engineer said the industry should not be run by non-pharmacists.

“Having non-pharmacists handle medicine sabotages our profession. If drugs end up in the wrong hands it becomes deadly,” he said.