Cambodia to Control Medical Quality and Crackdown on Illegal Pharmacies

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA

The Ministry of Health has ordered to all municipal and provincial health offices to take strict action and strong measure to crackdown on all illegal pharmacies and confiscate all fake and out of date medicines in aiming to provide health safety and proper medical care for Cambodians.

H.E. Dr. Chou Yinsim, Secretary of State for the Ministry of Health, said that to combat the fake and out of date of medical products, the ministry setup a task force group in which there is health officers, police force and other related competent authorities to work on this illegal activity.

The Ministry of Health also ordered to all private pharmacies and health clinics to apply for their business licenses then they can operate legally for their businesses of pharmacies or health clinics, he said, adding that the ministry also conducted many training skills on medicines for pharmacy sellers in cities and provinces. It will continue to conduct this training for other seller of pharmacy shops in cities and provinces in the future.

“To get the right medicines as well as safe treatment, we also advised our people to see the licensed medicines before buying so that they can avoid from the use of fake and out of date medicines,” he said. “We have also advised our people to go to the hospitals or health centers if case they are sick,” he told The Southeast Asia Weekly during an interview on May 19.

Dr. Yinsim pointed out that in Cambodia; currently there are hundred thousand pharmacy shops operating in which about 300 pharmacy shops are doing their businesses illegally.

“To make these private pharmacy shops operate legally in Cambodia, we are now working hard to encourage the owners of medicines shops to get licenses or registering with the ministry. However, in case if they are not legally registered with us we will then crack down and not allow them to do their business in Cambodia,” he said.

Chan Saman, Deputy Governor of the Phnom Penh Municipality, said that currently there are many illegal pharmacy shops are still operating and many fake medicines are also being illegally sold in Phnom Penh and other provinces. He said that nowadays many students who have just completed their graduations from the Health universities have also established their own pharmacy shops in selling medicines.

He added that the use of the fake and out of date drugs are very dangerous for peoples’ health

Ouch Sam, Deputy Director of the Phnom Penh Municipal Health Department in Charge of medicines in the Ministry of Health, said that to promote and provide the right medicines and medical treatment for the patients, about 400 sellers of drugs in private pharmacy shops in Phnom Penh were invited to attend the training by his Penh Municipal Health Department.

Sam said that the main purpose of the training was to strengthen the good practice of pharmacy and to improve the capacity building of pharmacy shop sellers in Phnom Penh so that they can provide a safe care and proper medical care for the people in Phnom Penh.

According to a report of the Phnom Penh Health Department, there are legal 523 private pharmacy shops and other 25 illegal pharmacy shops operating in Cambodia. p sellers in Phnom Pe training by hat

Sam said that to ensure the use of qualified drugs and medicines in Cambodia, his department has established a task force to control the circulation of drugs selling in all pharmacy shops in Phnom Penh. He added that his health department has confiscated and destroyed hundred kilograms of fake drugs and out of date medicines in Phnom Penh. /


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