E-drug: Fake ARVs on Uganda Market
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Dear E-drug Users,
In my country we had a happening recently worth raising in this forum.
Fake ARVs were found on the market! But instead of instituting
mechanisms to ensure tracking, rooting out of fake items from
circulation, we seemed to hear mudslinging! Unjust people have heard
about the Global Fund -- we can only be sure of the fact that fake
expensive items will appear, and the need to lay strategies against them
ahead of time is urgent.
This is what is worrying: expecting pharmacists, the National Drug
Regulatory Authorities (NDRAs) to inspect, and test every ampoule of
injection, tablet, capsule, glove, cotton wool, laboratory reagent, etc.
Sounds familiar? Fact is that sometimes fake items may resemble good
medicines, laboratory reagents and sundries, and it is not possible to
test the smallest unit of count that every consumer receives.
So it appears we must, not only get either pharmacists (wherever
possible) or dispensers (pharmacy technicians) at sites delivering ARVs.
But also there is need to both sensitize them and the general public
about how to report items suspected to be fake, to the National Drug
Regulatory Authorities.
And the NDRAs must always act in order that the people begin trusting
the Regulatory Framework. It seems mudslinging helps little.
George Kibumba, MPS.,
Teaching Assistant, Clinical Pharmacy,
Dept of Pharmacy, Makerere University,
P.O BOX 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
Private: P.O BOX 33543, Kampala, Uganda.
E-mail: kibumba@yahoo.com
Mobile: 256-78-430 080.
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