The government has outlawed the delivery of antibiotics through motorcycle riders and courier services as part of a broader crackdown on the growing circulation of substandard and falsified medicines in the country.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced the directive during the inaugural meeting of the Interministerial Steering Committee for the Kenya National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products in Nairobi.
Duale said the practice of ordering antibiotics through online platforms and having them delivered to homes without proper medical oversight poses serious health risks and will no longer be allowed.
The move comes amid increasing use of digital platforms that allow customers to order medicines from pharmacies and receive them through delivery riders within minutes.
According to the Ministry of Health, the convenience of online medicine purchases has created loopholes that have enabled the distribution of counterfeit and substandard pharmaceutical products.
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board has warned that many falsified medicines are sold through online platforms and informal markets, exposing patients to ineffective or dangerous treatments.
Global data indicates that one in every 10 medicines in low- and middle-income countries is either substandard or falsified, while an estimated 267,000 people die in Africa each year due to poor-quality medicines.
In Kenya, authorities have identified counterfeit medicines used to treat HIV/AIDS, erectile dysfunction and dialysis-related conditions among the products most commonly infiltrating the market.
Duale said the government will spearhead a nationwide conversation involving both the national and county governments to strengthen regulation of medicines and eliminate counterfeit drugs from the supply chain.
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board also raised concerns over the handling and storage of medicines in some county health facilities, warning that poor storage conditions contribute to the deterioration of drug quality.
Council of Governors Vice Chairperson and Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki called for tighter controls on all medicines entering the country, alongside continuous monitoring and stronger reporting systems to curb the circulation of counterfeit products.
Njuki also pledged closer collaboration between county governments and the Pharmacy and Poisons Board to safeguard the quality of medicines supplied to public health facilities.
The newly established interministerial steering committee brings together several government agencies, including the Ministry of Interior, to strengthen enforcement against the manufacture, importation and distribution of substandard and falsified medical products.
