Source: Net closes in on rogue pharmacies – herald
Trust Freddy-Herald Correspondent
THE net is closing in on rogue pharmacies and syndicates circulating unregistered medicines, following a stern Government directive to the newly-appointed Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe board to clean up the sector.
The warning was delivered by Health and Child Care Minister, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, while inaugurating the MCAZ’s new eight-member governance board in Harare yesterday.
The incoming body is chaired by prominent general practitioner, Dr Clifford Chiura.
Minister Mombeshora said the Government is adopting an uncompromising, zero-tolerance stance against retail lawlessness and the black-market medicine trade, which continues to threaten national health security.
“Your immediate priorities are: stop the circulation of unregistered medicines through intensified surveillance, address the uncontrolled proliferation of pharmacies and the diversion of public medicines into the private sector, enforce prescription regulations to combat antimicrobial resistance, counter falsified medicines with robust post-market surveillance, and create a practical pathway for the regulation of traditional medicines,” he said.
The strict directives signal a tough operational environment for illegal medicine dealers and unlicenced dispensaries that have been proliferating across urban centres.
He added that the new leadership structure will not be permitted to take a passive approach to its statutory mandate.
“You are not a ceremonial body,” Minister Mombeshora said.
“You are the statutory governance structure responsible for oversight, policy direction and accountability of this critical regulatory agency.”
The board was also directed to transition the MCAZ from World Health Organisation (WHO) Maturity Level 3 to Maturity Level 4 status – a tier reserved for elite, globally recognised reference regulators.
While Zimbabwe’s current Level 3 status acknowledges its regulatory framework as stable and functional, the Government expects the new leadership to drive regional excellence.
Under the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act, the board is legally required to maintain the National Medicines Register, licence and inspect manufacturers and retail pharmacies, approve clinical trials and systematically monitor the overall safety, quality and efficacy of all public and private medicines.
To give the new board clout, Minister Mombeshora announced that the Government is reviewing the foundational Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act.
The upcoming legislative amendments will expand MCAZ’s jurisdiction to cover medical devices, significantly increase criminal penalties for dealing in falsified or counterfeit medicines, and strengthen national pharmacovigilance tracking systems.
In his acceptance speech, Dr Chiura said: “I would like to sincerely thank President Mnangagwa, and the Honourable Minister of Health and Child Care, for the confidence and trust they have placed in me to serve in this important national institution.
“On behalf of the board, I pledge our commitment to serve with integrity, diligence, and patriotism in the interest of the people of Zimbabwe.”
The newly inaugurated board will eventually expand to its full 12-member statutory complement once the Minister appoints an additional four members.
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