RISK DRIVERS OF FALSIFIED AND SUB-STANDARD MEDICINES IN EAST AFRICA: PERCEPTIONS AND PRACTICES OF PHARMACEUTICAL DRUG FACILITY OWNERS/EMPLOYEES
Abstract
An interview survey was conducted among drug shop owners to investigate the access to and perception of
counterfeit medication along transport corridors of East Africa spanning Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Democratic
Republic of Congo. Owners of 171 retail drug outlets of modern medicines were interviewed on their knowledge,
perception, and practices related to counterfeit medicines. Forty-four (44) encounters with counterfeit medicines were
reported. Twenty-two (22) of the 171 interviewed drug store owners said that quality was the least important aspect
they considered when procuring drugs. Generally, 65.9% of the drugs were sourced from registered wholesalers and
distributors while the remaining 34.1% were supplied by unregistered in-country or cross-border sales representatives.
In all the four countries, the 10 fastest moving drugs were reported to originate from 27 different countries with most
(39%) from India. From 171 interviewees, 135 acknowledged that they were aware of the existence of counterfeit
drugs, 106 of whom attributed their level of awareness to mass media. Only 32 of the interviewees reported having
received any formal training on counterfeit medicines at seminars or workshops. 160 of the interviewees
acknowledged that counterfeit drugs pose a major threat to the patient and pharmaceutical market. The region has a
plethora of drug outlets run by attendants with varying backgrounds, diverse knowledge on medicines and practice
patterns. There is an urgent need for medicine regulators and other stakeholders in Africa involved in medicine safety,
to focus on properly regulating these outlets and also standardizing and training the drug outlet personnel.
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