The Ministry of Health has embarked on a drive to dispose off all expired and obsolete medicines and other health supplies from health facilities across the country.
According to government, this process will create more space for adequate storage of medicines and other health supplies delivered by National Medical Stores (NMS), and Joint Medical Store (JMS).
It is also aimed at preventing the risk of public health hazards, pilferage, and relabelling as a result of keeping such items in health facilities for long.
The Permanent Secretary of the Health Ministry, Dr Diana Atwine revealed that the disposal will take place in the 6,619 health facilities both public and private not for profit (PNFP).
“Expired pharmaceuticals are a growing concern in the country and can also result into a risk to national security,” Dr Atwine told journalists on Monday.
It is naturally expected that about 5% of pharmaceuticals in the distribution chain is bound to end up as obsolete or expired.
Uganda last conducted an exercise of such nature and magnitude six years ago.
Government says that the current quantities of expired medicines all over the country are estimated to be about 1,200 to 1,500 tons.
Dr Atwine said that Ministry of Health, National Drug Authority (NDA), National Medical Stores, and Joint Medical Store are collaborating to effectively implement this exercise.
NDA has set aside resources to pay the contracted provider to incinerate the expired and obsolete medicines and other medical supplies.
The collected expired medicines and medical supplies will be temporarily deposited and kept at NMS designated stores at Entebbe, from where the contracted provider for the hazardous waste will collect the items under NDA supervision and transport them to Luwero Industries Limited in Nakasongola and other facilities licensed by NEMA for safe disposal by incineration or other appropriate methods.
Ministry of Health has asked all DHOs and the In-charge personnel at health facilities to ensure the items are at the designated collection points from where they will be picked.
National Drug Authority has been tasked to establish a rigorous post market surveillance system which will ensure that all the medicines on the market, both imported and locally manufactured are closely monitored for safety, efficacy and quality.