The government has taken several measures to combat illicit trade, such as strengthening Article 46 of the Constitution by enacting the Consumer Protection Act, which also established institutions like the Anti-Counterfeit Authority.
A 2015 study found that more than 30 percent of medicines sold in Kenya are counterfeit, costing the country more than Sh10 billion annually.
It was also revealed that an estimated 40 percent of malaria drugs were counterfeits that may be harmful to users.
Nicknamed the business of death and yet becoming more and more popular in African countries, fake medicines continue to be consumed despite the harm they continue to cause to users.
In view of recent revelations, questions are emerging about whether the laws aimed at curtailing access to restricted drugs and dietary products and their transportation and sale are tight enough.
The findings from joint operations involving Kenyan and Ugandan agencies and their counterparts in the US, the UK and the European Union, as well as multinational organisations, reveal shipments of medicines that had been stored and shipped outside of approved conditions.
It was also revealed that prescription medicines lacked valid scripts and were mis-declared to avoid detection; and that dietary supplements known to contain undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients were imported in violation of domestic regulations.
This raised several pertinent observations that require synergies to stop. Authorities can fight counterfeit medicines by supporting health professionals, putting proper legislation in place, financing secure health systems, working with police and customs, and ensuring that legislation is enforced. Among various recommendations are the need for pharmacists to purchase medications from known, reliable sources and warn patients of the dangers of purchasing medications over the internet
The consequences of a patient receiving counterfeit medication could be catastrophic, and pharmacists must play an active role in preventing such eventualities from occurring
