Kenya’s drugs regulatory authority the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Kenya (PPB) and TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) have launched a new e-portal that will enable the pharmaceutical industry’s stakeholders to access trade and drug retention services online.
The system will enable importers of medical drugs to make their orders online and make electronic payments as well.
The government expects the new system to boost the pharmaceutical sector by easing access to services provided.
James Macharia, cabinet secretary for health, lauded PPB for introducing the digital platform for conducting its operations.
Macharia said that being online is a step towards ensuring the board becomes more efficient in its processes, noting it will help reduce the cost of transaction, increase customer satisfaction and enhance reporting to the pharmaceutical industry.
“The system will allow procurement agencies to authenticate the status of
products from the Pharmacy and Poisons Board website,” Macharia said. “It will also eliminate counterfeit products from the market and facilitate enforcement and surveillance of pharmaceutical products.”
From the system, owners of local pharmacies will be able to apply for their licenses online and get their renewals cleared in an hour, a process that initially took two days.
Alex Kabuga, country managing director at the Kenya Trade Network Agency, said the initiative will create a platform for consumers and stakeholders to inform the board on issues pertaining to the safety and efficacy of medicines in the public.
The system was funded by Trademark East Africa and other development partners to a tune of US$110,000.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock
