By KT Reporter
The National Drug Authority (NDA) has threatened to close drug shops and dispensers found operating under licenses issued by the Allied Health Professionals Council, warning that such outlets are operating illegally.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, NDA Public Relations Officer Abiaz Rwamwiri said several outlets had been duped by an agency whose mandate is limited to registering and licensing professionals, not facilities, a responsibility that rests solely with the NDA.
The development follows a notice issued by the council more than a week ago informing the public that it had begun registering and licensing drug shops managed by dispensers in private practice.
The notice, dated 21 January 2026, also indicates that a sample drug shop certificate of registration was published in the Uganda Gazette on 26 September 2025. Earlier, on 8 January 2026, the council wrote to District Health Officers, Divisional Medical Officers, and Principal Medical Officers notifying them of the same development.
Although the NDA was copied on the correspondence, Rwamwiri said the authority never received the letters, suggesting the omission may have been deliberate and intended to mislead district health officials into believing the council was acting in coordination with the regulator.
He added that the NDA later verified that all other stakeholders listed as recipients had received the letters, except the authority itself.
URN contacted Peter Nyamutale, the council’s registrar, but he was unreachable by phone and direct message by press time. Registrar, Peter Nyamutale, later replied that “I have received the letter from NDA, I will table it in the pharmacy board and the Allied Health Professionals Council before giving the reply to NDA. I advise you to get a copy of the Allied Health Professionals Act and read PART V1: sections 28, 30, and 31, which authorizes the Allied Health Professionals Council to license and register dispensers for Private practice.” According to details in the council’s letter, the decision is based on Cap 296 of the Allied Health Practitioners Act. Section 28 allows dispensers to engage in private practice by operating and managing drug shops, while Section 31 provides for the registration of allied health units.
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