In 2021 the Drug Theft Investigations Unit (DTIU) in the ministry of health handled 49 drug theft cases in which 8 of them involved health workers such as pharmacy technicians, clinical officers, health surveillance assistants and other lower cadres; reveals a report from the anti drug theft unit.
The Head of the DTIU Davies Lore Tembo presented a report that unveiled 20 districts of which Mangochi was leading with 7 cases followed by Balaka, Dedza and Blantyre with 5 cases each while each of the remaining 16 districts had less than 4 cases. He presented the report at a consultative meeting for stakeholder’s up-date on Drug Theft and Pilferage organized by the Network of Journalists Living with HIV with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through AVAC under the COMPASS Africa Initiative.
Tembo recalled that the DTIU was established under the Ministry of Health in 2016 following reports and studies that drug theft and pilferage were among contributing factors to persistent drug stock outs in public health facilities.
He said the goal of the DTIU is to ensure equitable access to quality essential health commodities throughout the Malawi public health system by reducing health commodity theft and wast-age through awareness and sensitization within communities and amongst health care workers on drug theft and pilferage issues.
Offences in the 49 drug theft and pilferage cas-es among others included that of being ‘found in possession of medicinal drugs without permit’, ‘supply of drugs without prescription,’ ‘selling medicinal drugs without license,’ ‘Importation of medicine without import permit,’ and selling medicine with misleading information on the label.
Tembo reported that the culprits have been slapped with fines and imprisonment with hard labour ranging from one to 9 years. He expressed satisfaction with current sentences on such offences pointing out that the courts are giving stiffer penalties than in the past following ongoing trainings organized by the DTIU that involve the judicially and the police.
The DTIU head pointed out that the success of the investigations was achieved through joint effort with the Malawi Police Service particularly district drug teams, fiscal police and prosecuting police officers, staff from the Pharmacy Medicines Regulatory Authority and drug audit team.
He said the DTIU expects an increase in successful drug theft related prosecutions of health workers, drug dealers and others; strengthened drug and medical supply chain security through closer monitoring and reduced drug theft by health workers due to in-creased risk of being punished.
