By Busingye Raven
The Ministry of Health has directed the Allied Health Professionals Council (AHPC) to immediately stop licensing drug shops, reaffirming that the National Drug Authority (NDA) is the only institution legally mandated to regulate and license premises dealing in medicines in Uganda.
The directive, issued by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Diana Atwine, follows months of disagreement among health sector regulators over whether the AHPC had the authority to register and license drug shops operated by dispensers.
According to the Ministry, the recently enacted National Drug and Health Products Authority Act, 2026, grants the NDA exclusive responsibility for regulating the quality, safety, distribution, and sale of medicines across the country. The law further stipulates that all premises involved in handling medicines must obtain a Certificate of Suitability of Premises and an operating licence issued by the NDA.
In the clarification, the Ministry emphasized that while allied health professionals are permitted to own and operate drug shops, they must first secure approval from the NDA and comply with all regulatory requirements set out under the law.
Health officials say the directive is intended to eliminate overlapping mandates among regulatory bodies, strengthen oversight of medicines, and promote uniform standards in the operation of drug outlets nationwide.
The move is expected to streamline regulation within the pharmaceutical sector and enhance public confidence in the safety and quality of medicines available on the Ugandan market.
