Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has defended the 2026 Good Pharmacy Practice Standards following demonstrations by Diploma in Pharmacy holders, insisting that the new regulations do not prevent any qualified pharmacy professional from practising.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, September 3, Duale drew a clear distinction between working as a pharmacy professional and serving as a superintendent, the person bearing overall professional and regulatory responsibility for a health facility.
He stated that diploma and degree holders would continue working across all levels of the health system, provided they are duly registered, enrolled, and licensed to practise within their respective legal scope.
“The Standards do not bar any category of pharmacy professionals, whether diploma or degree holders, from practising or working at any level of the health system, provided they are duly enrolled or registered, licensed and operate within their lawful scope of practice,” the Ministry stated.
On the question of superintendent qualifications, Duale explained that the minimum requirements would vary depending on the nature, complexity, and level of risk associated with the pharmaceutical services offered at a given facility.
“The principal purpose of the Good Pharmacy Practice Standards is to protect the patient and assure the quality of pharmaceutical care,” he said.
The Ministry also argued that the new standards would help stop illegal and unethical practices in the sector, including renting out professional licences, running pharmacies without proper supervision, giving out medicines wrongly, misusing antibiotics, and illegally handling narcotic and other controlled drugs.
Duale defended the constitutional and legal basis of the standards, citing Articles 43 and 46 of the Constitution, which guarantee the right to the highest attainable standard of health and protect consumers’ rights to quality services and health safety, as well as Section 3B(3)(a) of the Pharmacy and Poisons Act, which mandates the Pharmacy and Poisons Board to promote pharmacy practice that complies with universally accepted norms and values.
Addressing concerns that the standards were rushed through without adequate consultation, the Ministry said the process took more than five years and involved 11 iterations, stakeholder engagements, and technical reviews.
The Ministry said participants included county governments, professional associations representing both diploma and degree holders, academic institutions, public and private healthcare facilities, the pharmaceutical industry, and development partners.
“The inputs received were considered and incorporated, where appropriate, in accordance with the law, professional competencies, patient safety and the wider public health interest,” the Ministry said.
Duale said the Ministry remained open to continued engagement with pharmacy professionals over implementation concerns.
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board will provide further clarification and implementation support ahead of the standards’ commencement date of January 1, 2027.
