Africa-Press – Eswatini. Putting people’s lives at risk.
The press has reliably been informed that a consignment of expired medical drugs, some dating back to as far as 2010, is currently being kept at the Central Medical Stores (CMS) in Matsapha, as the country presently has no proper incinerator machine to burn some of them as per the health protocol. These drugs are said to be valued at over E10 million and they include injections, cringes, pills and bottled medicine, among others.
Investigations by this publication have uncovered that this health facility (CMS) is currently cluttered with medications, some of which are either no longer required or well beyond their expiry date. This comes amid concerns that the improper disposal of such drugs can lead to a safety issue for people as well as the environment.
A senior Ministry of Health officer, who asked not to be revealed, noted that accidental poisoning, overdose and abuse are just a few problems that could arise by unused or expired prescription drugs being thrown in the trash from where they could be easily retrieved and abused or sold illegally.
“These medicinal drugs can be just as dangerous as street drugs when taken without a doctor’s prescription or supervision. Safe removal of old or expired medicine protects you and others. Proper disposal of drugs can also prevent the negative and toxic effects on our environment that can take place if the drugs are not disposed of correctly,” the officer warned.
Burn
Asked why it is taking government such a long time to get rid of the expired drugs, the officer stated that it may be due to a number of reasons, most of which paid little attention about the health of the people. “At the moment, the country does not have proper incinerators to get rid of these expired drugs because such is only available in South Africa. This means the expired drugs have to be taken to South Africa to be burnt, but this has not happened over a long period now. It is a shame that at this time and age, our country still lacks proper incinerators to deal with the issue of expired drugs,” she further said.
She pointed out that those involved in drug supply management must be familiar with the problem of drugs reaching expiry dates before the stocks are used, stating clearly that expired drug stocks presented problems with serious implications. “Expired drugs imply financial losses because they should no longer be distributed and must be discarded. Expired drugs must be disposed off safely, without harming people and the environment. Pharmaceutical products may lose their potency in the degradation process. Physical changes may also lead to reduced absorption, rendering the products less effective.” It is stated that the manufacturer of a pharmaceutical product can only be held responsible for any harmful effects of the product within its shelf life and only if the product was transported and stored under the conditions recommended by the manufacturer.
Auditor
Interestingly, according to the Auditor General (AG) Forensic Investigation Proposal report, the government accounting system showed that the Ministry of Health spent over E1 billion on medical drugs in the financial year ended March 31, 2022 while the ministry spent E690 million on medical drugs. The AG reported that the recurrent expenditure stood at E503 million, while drugs trading account was at E187.1 million in the financial year ended March 31, 2021.
“There was then a need to ascertain why there are shortages of medicines when government had spent these amounts,” the AG stated. Eswatini Environmental Authority Communications Officer Belusile Mhlanga said to her knowledge, some expired medical drugs were destroyed using Municipal City Councils’ incineration machines. “I am also aware that there are medical drugs that can only be destroyed in South Africa because we do not have such machines in the country. I would have to verify, which of the expired medical drugs are being kept at CMS before making an informed comment,” she said.
CMS Assistant Director Thembi Gama acknowledged their failure to dispose of expired medical drugs, pointing out that the country currently does not have suitable facilities to dispose of unserviceable stock. She explained that the private sector, that once assisted with disposal of the waste, no longer use incinerators but instead used boilers that did not have the required temperatures for disposal of pharmaceutical waste.
Source: times
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