Senators investigate expired drugs in county health facilities

Senators have launched an investigation into the growing concern of expired drugs in county health facilities, with the focus now on the role of facility managers and medics.

The lawmakers have raised alarms about the potential health risks posed by Kenyans consuming the medicines.

“Over the past three financial years, the Auditor General has flagged the issue of large quantities of expired drugs in many public health facilities across our counties,” said Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi.

The Senate Committee on Public Investments and Special Funds chairperson has initiated investigation.

The committee is also responsible for scrutinising audit reports for county hospitals.

"This is an urgent issue that requires immediate attention, as it presents a significant risk to the lives of Kenyans seeking treatment in public health facilities," Osotsi said.

The Senate Health Committee led by Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago is investigating the total value of expired drugs in public health facilities over the past two financial years.

In addition, the investigation aims to understand why county health facilities continue to stock expired medicines.

Lawmakers are also seeking to determine whether county staff or private health facilities might be involved in pilfering drugs intended for public health centers.

“The committee should identify any gaps in the supply chain at the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency that could be contributing to the distribution of expired drugs or medicines with shorter shelf lives,” Osotsi said.

He also expressed concern that medical professionals are unknowingly administering expired medicines to patients.

“There is also a troubling trend where medical professionals in public hospitals are referring patients to privately-owned pharmacies for medicines,” Osotsi said.

In a related move, the Mombasa government recently announced it would not renew the licenses of pharmacies and chemists operating near public hospitals.

This measure is intended to tackle the exploitation of patients and curb unfair profits by these businesses.

Based on the committee's findings, the Senate panel plans to explore how counties can leverage technology to better monitor hospital stock levels, expiry dates and other critical data.

Additionally, the committee will assess the effectiveness of current policies regulating pharmacies and chemists operating near public health facilities.

During an appearance before Osotsi’s committee last month to address audit queries about health facilities under his administration, Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok expressed frustration over the issue.

“It’s ironic that I’m being accused of not having drugs in my facilities while, at the same time, drugs are expiring. The two cannot be true,” he said.

The governor called for Senate's intervention to determine the reasons behind the high rate of drug expirations, especially when the same facilities are frequently accused of lacking essential medicines.

“We need the Senate's support to figure out how we can address these issues. We may be dealing with the symptoms, but there could be a larger, underlying problem,” Barchok said.

He said some county officers in public hospitals might intentionally be withholding drugs from patients.

“Could this be a way of promoting business outside the public system? Senators, you need to come up with legislation to address this issue,” Barchok said.

INSTANT ANALYSIS

In March, the Nakuru County Government was forced to address a report by the Auditor General that exposed how expired drugs and medical supplies worth at least Sh2 million were discovered in the stores at Nakuru Level Five Hospital.  According to the Auditor General, the medical supplies were meant for HIV and Tuberculosis patients. The shocking revelation raised concerns about the patients' safety and undermined public confidence in the institution, which serves at least six neighboring counties.