NDA Closes 15 Illegal Drug Outlets, Seizes Medicines Worth Shs50m in West Nile

What the report says

The National Drug Authority (NDA) has shut 15 illegal drug outlets and seized 190 boxes of assorted medicines valued at more than Shs50 million in a week-long enforcement sweep in Uganda’s West Nile region, according to Nile Post. The operation covered Adjumani, Arua, Moyo, Koboko and Paidha Town Council in Zombo District and focused on unlicensed outlets as well as premises using unqualified personnel.

The NDA said its action was aimed at protecting the public from unsafe medicines and enforcing licensing rules. In addition to the closures, three pharmacies were reported to police for allegedly operating without valid licences. The outlets named in the report were Zyphar Pharmacy in Adjumani Town, Akubus Pharmaceuticals in Moyo District and Cinya Pharmacy in Koboko, with cases opened at the relevant police stations in each area.

The authority said medicines from illegal or unlicensed sources can be substandard, expired, falsified, adulterated or poorly stored, raising risks of treatment failure and other health harms. It asked affected operators to contact the NDA’s West Nile regional office in Arua for compliance guidance and to learn how to reclaim impounded medicines where permitted.

More broadly, the operation fits a wider public-health enforcement approach in Uganda, where drug regulators periodically crack down on illegal sellers to reduce risks tied to counterfeit or improperly handled medicines. The NDA urged the public to buy only from licensed outlets and report suspected illegal drug businesses.