DAR ES SALAAM, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Pharmacy Council of Tanzania has launched a nationwide crackdown on unregistered pharmacies as 23 of them were closed on Friday in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam, the Ministry of Health said in a statement on Saturday.
Elizabeth Shekalaghe, the registrar of the Pharmacy Council of Tanzania, said the crackdown to expose the unregistered pharmacies is continuous and will be conducted across the country, said the statement.
The statement said the Council appealed to members of the public to report to relevant authorities pharmacies that they suspected to have been operating illegally.
"Some of the unregistered pharmacies are offering medical services such as laboratory tests which is illegal," said Shekalaghe.
She said most of the mushrooming pharmacies in the east African nation have employed unqualified staff which endangered the lives of patients seeking medicines in pharmacies.
State-run Pharmacy Council of Tanzania regulates the pharmacy professionals practice and overseas registration of pharmacists by ensuring that they have the skills and knowledge to deliver effective health care that meets the changing needs of the community. ■