Blitz targets illegal clinics, medicine dealers

Health authorities have launched a nationwide crackdown on unregistered health facilities and illegal medicine dealers amid growing concerns over patient safety and the proliferation of unauthorised healthcare services.

The operation is being led jointly by the Health Professions Authority (HPA) and the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) following a rise in cases involving the sale of prescription medicines through illegal channels and the provision of healthcare services by unqualified individuals.

In a joint statement issued on Friday, HPA secretary-general Mrs Clotilda Chimbwanda and MCAZ director-general Mr Richard Rukwata announced intensified surveillance and inspection exercises across all provinces, warning that offenders would face prosecution.

The regulators said recent inspections had uncovered an increasing number of unregistered facilities illegally dispensing prescription medicines and offering healthcare services without the required licences.

Health experts attribute the growth of illegal healthcare operations to increasing demand for medical services, medicine shortages in some areas and the expansion of informal businesses operating outside regulatory oversight.

Authorities warned that such practices expose patients to serious risks, including misdiagnosis, unsafe treatment, counterfeit medicines and treatment failure.

"The HPA and MCAZ wish to jointly warn the public against the illegal operation of unlicensed health facilities, illicit distribution of prescription medicines, and the unsafe dispensing of medicines by unqualified individuals," said Mrs Chimbwanda and Mr Rukwata.

The regulators revealed that some of the unregistered facilities inspected were found selling prescription medicines, including drugs used to treat hypertension, diabetes and infectious diseases.

Among the medicines reportedly being distributed through unauthorised channels are phenobarbital, carbamazepine, fluconazole, tramadol, glibenclamide, praziquantel, co-trimoxazole, metronidazole, doxycycline and clotrimazole.

According to the authorities, prescription medicines should only be dispensed by licensed pharmaceutical personnel operating from registered pharmacies and only upon presentation of a valid prescription.

They warned that purchasing medicines from unlicensed sources or engaging in self-medication could result in incorrect dosing, dangerous drug interactions, exposure to counterfeit or substandard products and the development of antimicrobial resistance.

The HPA and MCAZ said the illegal sale and distribution of medicines, as well as the operation of unregistered health facilities, constitute serious violations of Zimbabwe's health laws.

Under the Health Professions Act, operating a health institution without registration and approval from the relevant authorities is a criminal offence. The Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act similarly prohibits the sale, distribution and dispensing of medicines by unlicensed individuals or from unregistered premises.

The regulators also expressed concern about individuals posing as qualified healthcare professionals and providing diagnosis, prescription and treatment services without the necessary qualifications or regulatory approval.

Mrs Chimbwanda and Mr Rukwata said enhanced inspections and surveillance operations were already underway across the country.

"Enhanced surveillance and inspections are underway across all provinces. Offenders will face prosecution and the full force of the law," they said.

The authorities urged members of the public to seek medical treatment only from registered healthcare professionals and licensed health institutions.

Patients were advised to verify the credentials of healthcare providers by checking for valid practising certificates, HPA registration documents and MCAZ licences for dispensing personnel and pharmacy premises.

The crackdown forms part of broader efforts by health regulators to protect public health, strengthen compliance within the healthcare sector and ensure that medicines and healthcare services are delivered safely and in accordance with the law.