A dispute has ensued between the Minstries of Health and Agriculture over should wh should regulate medicine for livestock.
This comes after the agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett gazetted the veterinary medicines directorate to be the regulator for the manufacture, importation, exportation, registration, distribution, prescription and dispensing of veterinary medicines in Kenya.
However this move was opposed by health CS Dr. Cleopa Mailu and insisted that the legal mandate over the class of medicines remains strictly under health ministry through Pharmacy and Poisons Board.
“The gazettement of the directorate has created regulatory confusion in the pharmaceutical sector since it has created a second body to do the same job of regulating veterinary medicines. It appears due diligence was not done,” Mailu is quoted by the Standard.
Mailu said that the health bill will soon become law and gives institutions powers on both livestock and human medicine.
“Veterinary professionals should leave matters of regulating and dispensing medicines to pharmacists just like Medical doctors do. There is no such thing as veterinary pharmacists,” he said.
Mailu said veterinarians need not to agitate for another body since they are well represented by Pharmacy and Poisons Board.