Gauteng health clamping down on unlicensed shops selling contaminated and expired medicines

JOHANNESBURG - Gauteng health officials have discovered shops without proper licences selling contaminated and expired medicines.

The findings came after inspectors began investigating a recent rise in food contamination cases, primarily affecting children.

In October, 12 children died after consuming food products bought from spaza shops.

Multiple government agencies and departments are working together to trace the origins of this health crisis.

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Attention has now shifted to medicines sold in unlicensed, non-pharmaceutical stores.

By law, only pharmacies and registered healthcare practitioners are allowed to dispense schedule 1 to 6 medicines, which include codeine-based cough syrups and children’s pain medication.

Unlicensed shops are limited to schedule 0 medicines, such as paracetamol and aspirin.

This violation of regulations and improper storage practices creates a risk of medicine contamination, endangering public health.