THE Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) is moving to make the disclosure of medicine stock levels and prices a mandatory condition for operating a pharmacy, warning that failure to comply can result in the loss of licence.
The announcement coincides with MCAZ’s participation in the new National Medicines Availability and Price Transparency Platform (MAP-TP), also known as the Medicine Price Lookup.
According to circular 35 of 2025, participation may soon become a compulsory requirement for all licensed pharmacies. The circular notes that after a voluntary 90-day pilot phase, “subsequent notice will be issued to confirm the transition from voluntary participation to mandatory compliance, if such a development becomes necessary in the public interest.”
“This mandatory shift will be enforced under sections 57(5) and 58(4) of the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act,” the authority said.
MCAZ warned that the mandatory shift will be enforced under sections 57(5) and 58(4) of the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act, underscoring the serious legal implications for non-compliance.
The platform is designed to address the documented national challenge where patients are forced to make repeated, often fruitless, “door-to-door” inquiries at multiple pharmacies to find available and affordable medicines.
Licensed pharmacies have been given 14 days from the circular’s date to submit Expressions of Interest for the initial pilot, which aims to assess the system’s technical performance, data accuracy and impact on pharmacy workflows.
Under the proposed rules, pharmacies must ensure all submitted information accurately reflects real-time stock availability and lawful pricing, and must promptly de-list items that are sold out.
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Only medicines with valid MCAZ registration may be listed, a measure intended to guarantee public confidence in the quality of the products advertised.
The authority also retains the right to audit submissions to verify their accuracy and protect the public from false or misleading listings.
MCAZ said the platform was a public service information system and not an advertisement.
MCAZ director-general Richard Rukwata said the initiative marked a decisive shift towards technology-driven health regulation.
He urged all stakeholders to prepare for the impending changes as the system progresses from pilot to national rollout.
The move will enable MCAZ to move to exert oversight on pharmaceutical retail pricing and
availability, directly linking licensure to price transparency.
