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E-DRUG: RE: PROBLEM MANUFACTURERS/DRUG AUTHORITY?
Sender: owner-e-drug@usa.healthnet.org
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I wish to share with you an example of what I cannot
classify (problem manufacturer, supplier or Uganda
national drug authority). I think the problem is within
the drug authority. read on.
Uganda
Fake human drugs on sale
The Monitor (Kampala)
July 15, 1999
By Jim Mugunga
Kampala - Armed policemen Monday, July 13, brought work at the National Drug
Authority (NDA) to a standstill when they raided its offices and grabbed
official documents.
Police, CID officers and uniformed men from Anti-Narcotics led by D/ASP
Moses
Kamabare, went to NDA offices at 9:30 a.m. to search for documents relating
to
importation of pharmaceutical drugs.
The Monitor learnt that the drugs were imported from Lyka Labs of India
between
April and May this year. The drugs brought in by Multi-Brothers Ltd.
included Amoxycillin and Ampicillin
Capsules; Metronidozole, Erythromycine and Paracetomol tablets plus
Ampicillin
syrup, vials and Ampicillin injections.
The consignment included 1,400 tins of Lanol Paracetomol tablets, with each
tin
containing 1,000 tablets, which were found to have grown black spots.
Police PRO John Kimera confirmed that the black spots were a clear
indication
that the Paracetomol was not fit for consumption.
Another officer, Eric Naigambi pointed at a clear case of conflict of
interest
saying that the NDA officer who cleared the drugs is also the pharmacist at
Multi-Brothers.
A source at the Anti-Narcotics Unit told The Monitor that a search for the
imported fake drugs found a balance of only 4,498 tins. "A greater portion
is
already on sale and as we talk, someone is consuming it!"
Drama however ensued Monday at the Buganda Road NDA offices when Kamabare
and his men, who had a search warrant, were blocked from leaving the NDA
premises with an assortment of official documents, files and invoices.
Guards locked up the gates and disappeared blocking the police's Nissan
pick- up Reg. No. 770 UAI on which the cops had loaded the documents. The
policemen only managed to leave after calling for mobile police patrol
back-up
vehicle No. UP 0003.
Abaasi Kabogo, the NDA executive secretary/registrar told The Monitor
that whereas the authority had the responsibility to cooperate with police,
it also has a duty to keep record of its official documents.
"We humbly asked them to allow us record specific documents and their
particulars
before they are taken away. That is standard procedure. Why didn't they
cooperate yet we had allowed them unlimited access since morning?" he
queried.
He acknowledged that Paracetomol tablets were found to be substandard and
his
organisation had "instituted internal mechanism to check the situation."
D/ASP Kamabare however insisted that there was laxity on the part of NDA to
save Ugandans from the dangers of exposure to bad drugs.
He explained that a list of all files taken was shown to the Authority's
legal
officer and she counter-signed.
STOP HERE, THE REST WAS NOT ESSENTIAL
From Prof. Andrew Walubo
Dept. Pharmacology
UOVS, South Africa
waluboa@frm.uovs.ac.za
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