Clinics cautioned against prescribing counterfeit drugs to patients

The national Ministry of Health has warned private health facilities against selling counterfeit drugs that it says is causing greater harm to the public.

Last month, the government launched a Pharmaceutical Policy and Strategy that provides an overall framework for governance, regulation, and programming within the health sector across the country

The policy sets the standards for the safe, modern practice of pharmacy while building community confidence and providing high-quality, innovative services for patients that enhance patient care and public health.

On Monday, the undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Victoria Anib cautioned against the sale of counterfeit drugs in the market.

“We have seen a lot of counterfeit medicine in the market and the ministry of health and regulatory body of drug and food control authority are working hard to ensure that the drugs in the market are not counterfeit and they are drugs that yare trusted and they are drugs that will help our people manage different health problems,” he said during the relaunching of Victories Medical Center, a private health clinic in Juba.

Dr. Anib also said most of the private clinics do not adhere to the Standard Operating Procedures for medical professionals.

“It’s been a trend that people are getting anti-malaria and after one week again, they say they have malaria. Perhaps it’s simply because of lack of proper adherence to the guidelines and using the right medication or partly because of misdiagnosis because not every fever is malaria.”

She added that:

“I want to advice my colleagues who are working in this facility (Victorious medical Center) to adhere to the code of ethics and professionalism and provide professional services to the people and also to adhere to the guidelines and SOPs of the ministry of health.”

The official further warned medical doctors against prescribing unnecessary medication to patients – just to make money.

“I don’t want to see Victorious medical center being a facility that offers just medication and polypharmacy and writing a script of ten medicines to one patient simply because you want to get money.”