26 August 2007
Nairobi — The revelation by the Director of Medical Services, Dr James Nyikal, that counterfeit anti-malaria drugs are on sale in parts of the country is disturbing. Stocks of counterfeit Duo-cotexin and Cotexin anti-malaria drugs were seized in downtown Nairobi. Others were discovered as far as Meru and Maua.
According to Dr Nyikal, analysis of the drugs by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board revealed that the drugs did not contain any active anti-malaria drugs and could not, therefore, treat malaria.
The implications here are vast and certainly ominous. First, malaria is a health problem across the country and many people who come down with it are dependent on frontline prescription drugs such as Duo-cotexin and Cotexin.
The average person is hardly in a position to differentiate between the counterfeit and the genuine drug. This would mean that there are people who are unnecessarily losing their lives.
Although the Pharmacy and Poisons Board has drug inspectors who are tasked to not only combat counterfeit drugs but also to ensure that drugs in the market are duly registered, it would appear that they are ill-equipped to police the drug market.
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