By: Fayia Jr. Moseray
The Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone (PBSL) has issued a strong warning to pharmaceutical outlets nationwide, urging them to refrain from attending to patients especially those exhibiting symptoms of the Mpox virus without a valid prescription from a qualified medical doctor or a recognized health facility.
In a press release signed by the Board’s Registrar, Dr. James Komeh, PBSL emphasized that treating patients without professional diagnosis and prescription poses a serious threat to national public health and undermines government efforts to control the spread of the Mpox virus.
The Board stated that a growing number of individuals showing signs and symptoms of Mpox have been seeking medication directly from pharmacies rather than visiting appropriate medical facilities. PBSL warned that this practice is illegal and could severely hamper national containment strategies.
The release stressed that dispensing medication without a medical prescription is a violation of the Pharmacy and Drugs Act of 2001. PBSL also cautioned the general public against self-medicating or seeking treatment at pharmacies, urging individuals to report Mpox symptoms at primary healthcare facilities instead.
Furthermore, the Board called on all pharmaceutical professionals and proprietors to cease providing any form of treatment to patients, particularly those displaying symptoms linked to Mpox, which continues to pose a significant public health challenge in Sierra Leone.
“Proprietors of pharmaceutical outlets and pharmacy professionals manning these outlets are hereby reminded that it is against the Pharmacy and Drugs Act 2001 to carry out any form of treatment in pharmaceutical outlets. Defaulters will face the full force of the law,” the statement firmly warned.
PBSL reaffirmed its commitment, along with that of the government, to mitigating the spread and impact of the life-threatening Mpox virus across the country.