Kampala — An operation by the Police, the National Drug Authority and URA has impounded counterfeit medicinal products worth millions of shillings.

The organisations have as a result placed 38 pharmacies in four districts under investigation for sale of fake products, including un registered medicinal lotions, creams and ointments betamethasone, clobetasol picked mainly from Kikuubo in Kampala, Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba announced yesterday.

EXPOSED: Law enforcement officials display some of the counterfeit products in Kampala yesterday . PHOTO BY G. SSERUYANGE

Surprisingly, of the 40 pharmacies that were sampled in Kampala, Jinja, Masaka and Iganga districts, only two did not have counterfeit products, raising fears that many drugs consumed in the country may be fake and dangerous to human life.

In a five-day operation from September 29 to October 5, 2008, 19 pharmacies in Kampala were found trading in fake drugs, while nine drug shops in Masaka District are also being investigated over selling counterfeit drugs.

Jinja District came third with seven pharmacies dealing in fake drugs while three are under investigation in Iganga District. The operation was carried out with support from Interpol.

In a press conference at Interpol head offices in Kampala yesterday, Ms Nabakooba said 10 people have been arrested as investigations continue.

"Ten suspects are being investigated for operating illegal pharmaceutical businesses, having no certificates for suitability of premises, and unlicensed sellers not qualified to handle drugs," Ms Nabakooba said.

Among the products impounded include body and hair gel, creams and lotions with trademarks like First Class Lady Cream, Maxi Light Gel, Dark and Lovely, Gel Plus, Skin White, Clear Essence, Bio-Tone, Pop, Aloe Vera, Hot Movate Gel, Stretch-Mark Cream and Maxi-Touch Cream.

Ms Nabakooba declined to mention the names of the pharmacies being investigated, saying samples of the medicines have been handed over to the Police Forensic Department for testing.

Ms Kate Kikule, the head of NDA Drug Inspectorate Services, said most manufacturers of the counterfeit medicines do not state the origin of the drugs because they will be investigated.

Citing an example of skin lightening creams which were impounded, Ms Kikule, said: "They are medicines used to treat skin diseases. But when they are applied on the body, they make the skin thin which leads to red patches, skin rashes and later on skin cancer."

"When the chemicals of these creams enter blood vessels, they cause blood pressure and diabetes especially in women," she said.

Some of the impounded products included medicinal lotions, creams and ointments containing betamethasone, clobetasol, chemicals that cause cancer.

"Poor and ignorant villagers constitute the willing victims of the growing market in cheap counterfeit drugs. As a consequence over 2 million people treated for malaria die each year because they were treated with fake drugs in Africa," Interpol Intellectual Property Rights Project officer Stanley Ude said.

Mr Geoffrey Balamaga, the URA manager of Customs in charge of Enforcement Operations, said most drugs find their way into the country through ungazetted entries at border posts, which lead to losses of tax revenue to the government.