NAIROBI, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Kenya is developing an online system to enhance tracking of medicine entering the country, an official said on Tuesday.
Fred Siyoi, chief executive officer, Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) said that the Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) aided system will make it easy to identify the country of origin, manufacturer and batch of medical products and health technologies.
"We want to ensure that all medical products and health technologies in the market have a tracing number to help keep off counterfeit medicine," said Siyoi
He said that the online system that is being developed in collaboration with the University of Nairobi is aimed at providing highest attainable standards of healthcare to citizens.
Siyoi said that adoption of online services has enabled the board realize increased level of transparency, traceability of documents and accountability, thus making it easy to adhere to international standards.
"Our quality control laboratory has handheld Raman spectrometers equipped with a digital library making it the first of its kind in the region. This technology is used by our inspectors to conduct instant drug tests at the ports of entry as well as during routine inspections," Soyoi said.
He said that the use of ICT, such as availing reporting tools online, has made it easy for Kenyans to report Adverse Drug Reaction (ADRs).
"We have rolled out a health safety Code '21031' that allows Kenyans to verify registration status of the premises and that of superintendents before purchasing medicines," said Siyoi.
He revealed that Kenya is currently the sixth African Country in reporting individual case safety reports (ICSRs) to the international database and is the lead country in Pharmacovigilance and post marketing surveillance within the East Africa harmonization initiatives.
Siyoi said that Kenya is the first drug regulatory authority in Africa with online systems for regulation of medical products in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) regulatory documentation package and other relevant International guidelines and standards.
He said that the government has designed trade, drug registration and good manufacturing practice system to implement the dossier submission for registration of medicines and control of products being marketed in the country.
Siyoi said development of a Short Message Service (SMS) that allows verification of licensed pharmacy premises by the members of the public has boosted drugs safety in the country.
