Duale banks on digitisation to curb drug theft, counterfeits

Mombasa Governor Abdullswamad Shariff Nassir(L) Health Cabinet Secreretary Aden Duale(C) and Council of Governors Chairman Ahmed Abdullahi during a consultative meeting between Governors and Ministry of Health. [Bernard Orwongo,Standard] Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has vowed to strengthen and upgrade surveillance in the health sector to curb corruption and the circulation of counterfeit medicines and medical products. Duale said he will champion the use of the digitisation superhighway in the health ecosystem to fix the systemic structural deficits and protect patients in the country. He said the digitisation will track medications from the manufacturer to the patient, eliminating drug expiration at Kenya Medical Supplies Authority and public health facilities nationwide. "Every patient interaction, prescription and transaction will be digitally recorded and tracked to reduce manipulation, theft and the circulation of counterfeit medicines," he said. The CS was addressing the 45th annual scientific conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK) in Mombasa County. "When I arrived at Afya House, the media asked me if it was a mafia house, I replied Afya House. I later discovered there was an element of mafia there, which I am about to clear out," he said. PSK president Dr Louis Machogu reaffirmed its support for good pharmacy practice, quality healthcare and the Patient Safety Bill that is before parliament. Also present were Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir and the Ministry of Health director-general Dr Patrick Amoth. He called for public support as the ministry advanced the digitalisation of healthcare services, including the integration of community pharmacies into the national digital superhighway. He reaffirmed the Ministry's commitment to strengthening local pharmaceutical manufacturing through the Buy Kenya, Build Kenya initiative, backed by a presidential directive. He emphasised the importance of innovation and regulation in improving health outcomes. Duale appealed to PSK to help identify policy bottlenecks and champion the reforms needed to unlock the sector's full potential. He noted that PSK's support was critical in shaping the pharmacy benefit package under Universal Health Coverage (UHC), supporting the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) in achieving WHO Maturity Level 3 and aligning regulatory standards with global best practices. Duale outlined five key policy priorities that will define the next phase of pharmaceutical regulation-top among them being digitisation to enhance track-and-trace systems and eliminate substandard health products. He said the digitisation will be used to phase out paper records and will be used to weed out quacks who run pharmaceutical outlets and endanger the lives of Kenyans. He also highlighted the integration of pharmacy services into UHC benefits, urging PSK to take an active role in protecting access and ensuring quality. Duale emphasised that the reforms present a critical opportunity to deepen public trust and build stronger partnerships across the health sector.

Duale banks on digitisation to curb drug theft, counterfeits

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Duale banks on digitisation to curb drug theft, counterfeits

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