Unscrupulous pharmacies that are dispensing anti-retroviral medication for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) without prescriptions from medical doctors or health facilities, risk the full wrath of the law, the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has warned.
BY Phyllis Mbanje
PEP is used by anyone who may have been exposed to HIV during a single event and involves taking anti-HIV medications soon after the exposure. The medication stops HIV from replicating itself and spreading through one’s body, but has to be taken within 72 hours.
In Zimbabwe, PEP is still a preserve for medical staff exposed to the virus and also victims of rape, but lately ordinary members of the public, after engaging in risky behaviour, were getting the prophylaxis from some pharmacies.
MCAZ director-generaI Gugu Mahlangu said although she was not sure exactly which products were being sold over the counter for post-exposure prophylaxis, ordinarily, one would be prescribed anti-retroviral agents, which fall in the prescription preparation category for distribution.
“One would, therefore, need a prescription from a registered practitioner or alternatively from a public health institution in order to purchase such medication,” Mahlangu said.
She said it would be illegal for members of the public to access anti-retroviral medication without prescription.
“If indeed pharmacies are found acting in this illegal manner, there are sanctions and penalties provided in the statutes and also applied by the authority to the offenders,” warned Mahlangu.
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Although not a popular route that health officials would advocate for ahead of other preventative methods like the correct and consistent use of a condom, PEP is fast becoming a standard alternative for many people.
The head of the Aids and TB unit in the Health ministry, Owen Mugurungi, said the service was strictly for medical personnel and rape victims.
“We do not want to advocate for this method. It is not a substitute for other proven HIV prevention methods,” he said.
Mugurungi also warned that if one took PEP, but was unaware of their status it might actually complicate issues if it turns out that they were, after all, HIV positive.
“They might later on develop resistance when the time comes to take the medication for life,” he said
Most pharmacies have the facility and while some insist on the doctor’s prescription, others will go ahead and offer the drugs even in the absence of such.
The method is safe, but may cause side effects like nausea, headache, vomiting and skin eruptions in some people.
It is also not 100% effective and does not guarantee that someone exposed to HIV will not become infected with the virus.
