The Auditor General’s report has revealed that ARVs, TB and Malaria drugs worth K66,801,022 got expired in the year ended 2016.

According to the Auditor General, the expiry was attributed to a change of treatment regime.

“During the period under review, various drugs such as anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs), laboratory reagents, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria drugs worth K66,801,022 involving one thousand seven hundred and sixty three (1,763) transactions which were kept at a rented warehouse in Makeni, Lusaka had expired. The expiry of the drugs was mainly attributed to change of treatment regime and failure to enroll targeted children. The expired drugs had not been disposed of as 31st June 2017,” read the report.

And the Auditor General revealed that although some health centres had procured some drugs from Medical Stores, they had not been delivered.

“During the period under review, drugs and medical supplies costing K2,539,687 where procured from Medical Stores. However, as at 31st August 2017, the drugs and medical supplies had not been delivered to fourteen (14) stations. During the period under review, drugs and other medical supplies costing K943,889 were returned by nine (9) health facilities to Medical Stores Limited due to short life before expiry, slow moving and being wrong products, among others. However, a scrutiny of stocks and other records revealed that the returned drugs had not been replaced as at 31st August 2017,” read the Auditor General’s report.

“A scrutiny of stocks and other records and drug labels maintained at various institutions revealed that various drugs costing K124,697 had expired and no action had been taken by
management to dispose them off as at 31st August 2017. Contrary to Public Stores Regulation No. 16, various drugs and medical supplies costing K3,887,920 delivered to twenty nine (29) Health Institutions during the period under review were unaccounted for as there were no disposal details.”