According to a recent poll, only 20% of those in charge of distributing medications at Level Four hospitals are pharmacists with formal training. The survey also finds that people who are licensed but unqualified to do so are dispensing medications in 70% of Level Five hospitals.
The Young Pharmacists Organization carried out the survey (YPG). Its conclusions were made public last week.
The YPG team examined data from various hospitals. The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council website lists 535 Level Four hospitals and 80 Level Five hospitals where the survey was conducted.
Eight out of every ten Level Four hospitals are found to be non-compliant. Just 50 of the 535 hospitals assessed adhere to the necessary criteria, while 424 are non-compliant.
According to the survey, 61 hospitals lack records. In addition, it has been claimed that 71% of Level Five hospitals lack competent superintendent pharmacists.
With 19.4% of these hospitals, Nairobi County leads the way, followed by Kiambu (7%), Nakuru and Kisumu (4.3% each), Kajiado and Mombasa (4%), Wajir (3.4%), Machakos (2.4%), and Nandi (1.3%).
80 Level Five hospitals are comprised, of which 56 are noncompliant, five lack records, and three have expired licenses.
The professional and clinical management of a pharmacy is under the supervision of a superintendent pharmacist. He or she is in charge of managing the sale and delivery of drugs. They must be licensed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB).
The superintendent has the right to refuse to give medication if they believe it will not be useful or appropriate for the stated treatment. Nonetheless, a certified superintendent pharmacist is uncommon in hospitals. Instead, they use pharmacy technicians.
The lives of persons buying pharmaceuticals are at risk due to the superintendent pharmacist's absence because there is no professional involvement. Despite their expertise, pharmacy technicians are not allowed by law to carry out tasks that pharmacists should do.
In addition to evaluating patient records and advising senior doctors on treatment, superintendent pharmacists are in charge of advising hospitals on drug-related matters.
Despite their expertise, pharmacy technicians are not allowed by law to carry out tasks that pharmacists should do. Pharmacy technicians need to be controlled, according to a US research.
Pharmacy technicians are put in a position where major errors could happen given the complexity of prescriptions and their lack of formal training, according to a 1998 recommendation to the Virginia General Assembly. Hospitals in Kenya disobey rules by letting pharmacy technicians perform duties that are not appropriate for them.
"In most hospitals, the professional who was licensed wasn't the one who was most suited for the job. Patients are at risk without expert advice, according to Dr. Cohen Andove, the survey's primary author and chairperson of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya. According to Dr. Cohen, the inquiry uncovered serious violations of supervisor permissions given to hospitals and wholesale sellers.
"Patients who do not receive the necessary care suffer because pharmacists are not present at these hospitals. It is crucial to put the pharmacist in the center of services at hospitals and wholesale practice as mandated by law at this time when medication-related issues cause a high number of deaths, he said.
According to the survey, hospitals do not actively seek out competent pharmacists. Drugs like narcotics are extremely addictive and must be administered and monitored by licensed pharmacists.
"It is terrible that carelessness has resulted in a spike in drug abuse among the general public, especially among young people," Dr. Cohen stated.
"The risk of the public being exposed to controlled medicines is very significant" without the required license for the premises.
According to a recent study by Kemri, many local drug dealers urge customers to take part of the prescribed dose and then receive the rest later. The rest is frequently overlooked.
