By Ragan M. Conteh

Madam Joy Johnson who is responsible for drug regulation at the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone (PBSL) has told members of parliament that 35 pharmacies have been closed down in Freetown due to lack of compliance.

She advanced reasons at the Parliamentary Health Committee in Parliament that the Pharmacy Board will only decide to close down pharmacies due to lack of compliance governing the operations of the Board.

Madam Johnson revealed that as regulators their major challenge is the lack of power to enforce arrest and prosecute, adding that it is one of many challenges faced as an institution.

She pointed out that, part of their mandate is to send their personnel in the fields to investigate and enforce for compliance, citing that they also move to the premises of the said pharmacies to know how they operate.

According to authorities of PBSL, one of the problems faced by the board is that even when the board takes issues of compliance and tackling the illegal drug peddling, the best lawyers always representing these peddlers in Court and at the end of the day they go scot-free.

The Pharmacy Board also spoke on their frustration regarding the court and law enforcement, citing the lack of adequate resources in pursuing course on monitoring pharmacies in the country.

The director of Pharmacy Board, Dr. Komeh,  made her short submissions while the chairperson of the Parliamentary Health Committee, Hon Wuyata Songa said, the Pharmacy Board should follow the due process of the laws when tackling the issue of compliance.

She said, there are lots of pharmacies that do not follow the laws and these are the ones that ended up engaging in illegal activities in their various health facilities.

The MP urged the Board to communicate the board’s frustration parliament and the ministry for effective monitoring and tackling of illegal selling of drugs in the streets.

“Share your concerns with the Committee in parliament. I have discovered that the Health Act is not for purpose. Parliament needs to review the Act which will give more power to Pharmacy Board for effective work” Hon. Songa said.

“Why killing yourself while you fully well know that the Act can be reviewed and passed into law,” she asserted.