By Sorie Ibrahim Fofanah
Senior Regulatory Officer at the Drug Evaluation and Registration Department of the Sierra Leone Pharmacy Board, Dr. Sheku S. Mansaray has criticized the practice of drug peddling, saying it’s illegal.
Dr. Mansaray who was speaking to Politico at the Pharmacy Board headquarters in Freetown on 18th August said medicine “peddlers are illegal drug dealers: they are not licensed by the Pharmacy Board, hence are not recognized,’’ adding that they should not ply on the streets selling medicinal products. ‘’This not a legal entity,’’ he went on.
He said the Pharmacy Board has a department called Enforcement and Narcotic Control that is charged with the responsibility to conduct periodic raids on drug peddlers whom, he said do not only sell the normal medicines but also narcotic products like tramadol.
He however said whenever they conduct such raids, arrest and hand them over to the police and charged to court, they are levied minimal fines as stipulated in the 2001 Pharmacy and Drug Act.
Dr. Mansaray because the offenders can afford to pay the fines, they return to the illegal trade because they are able to pay.
Dr. Mansaray said as a mitigating measure, they are to review the 2001 Pharmacy and Drug Act and make provisions for hefty fines to discourage the practice.
He was of the view that the Pharmacy Board should collaborate with other institutions like the city council that collects dues from these peddlers, which in itself is like legalizing the said practice.
‘’The peddlers consider themselves as legal drug dealers, because a whole council institution is asking them to pay dues,’’ he emphasized.
He said the Pharmacy Board has zero tolerance for those selling drugs illegally.
Talking about one of the effects of illegal drug dealing, Dr. Mansaray said drugs that are sold by these peddlers lack proper storage, leading to deterioration of such drugs and the release of toxic chemicals into the body if consumed.
About the concern that most of the peddlersa purchase ‘’Class A’’ drugs from pharmacies and what the Pharmacy Board is doing to curtail the handling of drugs by wrong persons, Dr. Sesay said the board does routine inspections through what he termed as ‘’drug audit’’ for both prescriptive and controlled medicines, noting that licensed drug dealers should be able to show invoices of prescriptive medicines through a formal channel from qualified medical professionals.
‘’We do not expect our licence holders to sell drugs to peddlers or huskers, irrespective of which class of drug, whether it is class a, b or c,’’ he said.
He said any of their license holders that breaches against any portion of the Drug Act can be summoned to the disciplinary committee, and if found wanton of any mishap, they will be penalized.
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