By Dr. Stephen Lutoti

Dear Pharmacist colleagues and friends, it is well documented that major issues challenging health-care leaders and experts include; ensuring convenient and timely access to care, patient safety and optimum health outcomes, quality of medicines, financial sustainability and defining scopes of practice for different health professionals. The consequences of non-availability, inaccessibility and inappropriate use of medicines in both public and private health facilities are common but can be prevented, minimized or even eliminated.

The costs of these events are thought to be equal to or more than the costs of medicines themselves. We as pharmacists play an important role in the debate and resolution of these issues. The ordinary members of the public, stakeholders in health service delivery and central government officials look at us for solutions due to our unique pharmaceutical knowledge but when they realize that we are not so much concerned by these issues, they try to devise and turn to other means of addressing the pharmaceutical challenges faced.

Every active Pharmacist in Uganda can give testimony that there are many opportunities but also a myriad of challenges to the practice of Pharmacy in Uganda.

There is no doubt that we have had some difficult years for the profession. There are lots of legislative changes being proposed particularly the proposal to split the NDA and create a new Animal drugs Authority, pending National Medicines and Food Authority Bill, National health insurance bill among others. The stakes have been high in debating issues to gain consensus on each of this bills and the processes are still on going. We have also observed challenges in pre-service training of Pharmacy professionals at Universities through council supervision reports and experiences shared by those in training.

There are also challenges with practical training of intern pharmacists and their registration as pharmacists after completion of internship; Questions on governance of the National Drug Authority, National medical stores and Ministry of health particularly as regards accountability, transparency, strategic visioning, equity and inclusiveness keep heating headlines in social media debates among members of the society, other health professionals and the general public; there are uncountable media reports of essential medicines stock outs, theft and procurement challenges in our public health facilities, low visibility of pharmacists in the public health system and irrational use of medicines.

We are endlessly being challenged with encroachment on the pharmacy profession and practice field by local and foreign non pharmacy professionals not only in community pharmacy settings but also hospital, regulatory environments and manufacturing facilities; sadly reports of mistrust in the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines on the market in addition to reliance on imports to meet the medicine needs of Uganda keep defining Uganda’s Pharmaceutical sector. This is not time for finger pointing.

This is the time to stand together as Pharmaceutical Experts/Think-tanks and change the course of events in this country for better pharmacy practice legislations and better practice. The investors must get value of their investment.

We need policies and regulations that encourage growth of Uganda’s Pharmaceutical sector. With my values of commitment, hard work, courage, innovativeness, dedication and youthful vitality, I would like to offer myself for the service of the Representative of Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda to the National Drug Authority. Together we can redirect Medicines regulation and Pharmacy practice in Uganda to meet the needs of clients -the Ugandan people and foster growth of the Pharmacy profession. Together we can ensure quality, Safe and efficacious drugs are available at all times to the population of Uganda.

Dr.Lutoti Stephen is a pharmacist and is contesting to become as PSU rep. to NDA

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By Norbert Mao

Even those who are not superstitious would agree that Museveni’s seventh term got off to a bad start. If the violence that punctuated the days leading to his declaration as winner, his controversial inauguration and the spate of killings and the high handed response to citizen protests is anything to go by then Museveni should brace himself for more turbulence for the remainder of his tenure at State House. I foresee a political season filled with unrest rather than peace, acrimony rather than consensus and bitterness rather than contentment. Of course all this can be avoided if Museveni realizes that no major national objective can be achieved without political compromise.

Now Makerere is in the throes of unrest. Students are protesting a tuition hike in a public university. For their protests they have been subjected to the most brutal force totally disproportionate to any threats their demonstrations pose. There are reports of wanton beatings, shooting at students with live ammunition, break-ins at student residences, rape, and a virtual Campus wide curfew. This highhandedness must be condemned in the strongest terms possible. Guns, tear gas and batons are not the solutions to Makerere’s dysfunctional decision making processes.

But Makerere is but a microcosm of our condition. The whole country is lethargic. Everyone seems to be in a kind of go-slow strike. The source of the unrest, acrimony and bitterness is not hard to find. From the time Museveni assumed office, his signature tune has been the fact that he is neither Amin nor Obote. A very negative attribute if you ask me. He was seen as the calming influence that would help put the anarchy and lawlessness that characterized the Obote and Amin regimes behind.

In the international community Museveni was garlanded for taking a bold stand against HIV/AIDS and for liberalizing the economy making it the most laisez faire of any African economy. For that Museveni received not only aid dollars in sacks but also the least scrutiny of his human rights record. For years donor countries have had a blind spot for Museveni.

But the house of cards is beginning to tumble down. There is no national economy to speak of. The top five players in the five key sectors are not Ugandan. Infact the drain of foreign currency from the Ugandan economy is because these foreign players repatriate most of their profits in hard currency virtually unregulated. In economic terms Museveni is a puppet. He is like a music conductor waving the conductor’s staff to a tune he hardly understands or controls. The orchestra is commanded from elsewhere.

Sooner or later signs of discontent would begin to show. It is therefore not the public protests and strikes that are causing our economic woes. Neither are they a result of opposition figures badmouthing the regime abroad. Rather these are but symptoms of fundamental structural problems with the way Museveni has run the country.

Income inequalities have trebled over the years. Agriculture in which Uganda would enjoy comparative advantage has been systematically destroyed by Museveni’s wrong policies. The banking sector is run like a casino ripping off would be borrowers. The telecom sector fleeces clients like none across the continent. The government is supposed to be the watchdog protecting the interests of the citizens but it is in deep slumber. In many cases key government officials are accomplices in the grand racket to disinherit Ugandans. Corruption, greed and incompetence is the sound track of Museveni’s script.

It is for this reason that the majority of Ugandans have resorted to the power of the powerless. By going on strike students, taxi drivers, traders, teachers are sending a strong message to Museveni to change course to avert a worse disaster.

This shouldn’t be seen by the Museveni regime as subversion or economic sabotage. This is a patriotic duty of the highest order. That young citizens are going on strike is a wake up call to Museveni. He ignores the voices of the students, teachers, taxi drivers and traders at his own peril. Makerere is thus nothing but a tip of the iceberg!

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