Expired medical products can be less effective or risky due
to a change in chemical composition or a decrease in strength.
Certain expired medicines are at risk of bacterial growth
and sub-potent antibiotics can fail to treat infections, leading to more serious
illnesses and antibiotic resistance.
The expiration date is a critical part of deciding if the
product is safe to use and will work as intended.
MCAZ Acting Director-General Mr Richard Rukwata said the
cancellation of licences and closure of business in respect of the offenders
will lapse around November this year.
He warned other operators against selling unregistered and
expired drugs saying the authority recently adopted a new policy of naming and
shaming offenders.
“Licensees need to know that the game has changed.
Contraventions to the statutes now carry significant reputational risk. With
the new policy of publishing offenders names, business leaders need to
prioritise compliance for the good of their customers who are the citizens of
this country.
“The new policy is to publish these issues for the public
good. Progressive regulatory processes require MCAZ to be transparent about
regulatory decisions taken which result in closure of businesses and
cancellations of licenses,” said Mr Rukwata.
Skiborry Private Limited, which trades as Bright Pharmacy
of Number 10 Highfield Road, Southerton was found guilty of purchasing
medicines from unauthorised sources, selling unregistered and expired
medicines.
According to MCAZ, the cancellation order remains in force
until November this year.
MCAZ also cancelled a licence for Mr Edmore Jeje of Bright
Pharmacy.
Mukoka & Chikuya Private Limited, which trades as
Goodhope Pharmacy at Number 23 Jason Moyo was also shut for selling
unregistered and expired medicines and the licence holder Mr Batsirayi Mukoka
also had his licence cancelled.
The cancellation of licences in respect of Mr Mukoka and
Goodhope Pharmacy is valid until November this year.
Border Pharmacies Private Limited that trades as Border
Pharmacy of Number 63 Living Waters, Beitbridge was punished for selling unregistered and expired medicines.
The same pharmacy was found guilty of inadequate capturing
of patients’ information when dispensing “Prescription Preparation” (PP).
Its two licence holders Mr Costertain Delangton and Mr
Gamuchirayi Matandirotya also had their practice licences cancelled until
October this year. The expiration date can be found printed on the label or
stamped onto the bottle or carton.
It is important to know and stick to the expiration date on
medicine.
Using expired medical products is risky and possibly
harmful to one’s health. Once the expiration date has passed, there is no
guarantee that the medicine will be safe and effective.
If the medicine has expired, it must not be used. It must
be properly disposed of.
Failing to safely dispose of old medications, especially
opioids, all too often leads to dangerous drugs ending up in the wrong hands.
Expired medicines are also not just a risk to the person
they were prescribed for, but can injure children and pets if taken by mistake.
Therefore, proper disposal of unneeded medicines is
essential.
Apart from pharmacies, unregulated and unregistered medicines
are being sold by vendors in Zimbabwe.
The drugs are flooding into Zimbabwe, with consignments of
expired medicines being smuggled into the country through the country’s porous
border posts.
Syndicates are allegedly taking advantage of steep US dollar
prices being charged by pharmacies.
The high prices being charged have left patients at high
risk, as they are resorting to cheaper and unregulated medicines coming from
neighbouring Mozambique and Zambia. Herald
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