Mutare hospital stock expired ARVs - Auditor General

Public hospitals are stocked with countless boxes of expired anti-retroviral drugs which are dispensed to patients, the Auditor General, Mildred Chiri has  said.

In a recent audit report for the year ended December 31, 2014, Chiri singed out Mutare General Hospital pharmacy.

"The Mutare General Hospital pharmacy received 100 boxes of 60 units of a drug called Alluvia 100mg/25mg on February 27, 2012 whose expiry date was March 31, 2012."

"The drug was dispensed to the Family Health Department of the hospital on February 28, 2012 (10 boxes), April 4, 2012 (6 boxes) and May 8, 2012 (4 boxes) respectively. On May 8, the remaining 80 boxes of 60 boxes were declared no longer suitable for human treatment and hence were transferred to the expired drugs store, notwithstanding the fact that on two occasions the drug had been dispensed in their expired state.

"There was no evidence to support that the hospital pharmacy sought authority from Medical Laboratory and Clinical Council to distribute drugs that had passed their expiry date."

Chiri said the National Aids Council (Nac), which is responsible for the procurement of drugs on behalf of the hospitals, should put in place proper monitoring systems.

"Nac should also develop some mechanisms and systems to monitor some critical activities undertaken by implementing partners such as these hospital pharmacies," she said.