The National Drug Authority (NDA) has threatened to close drug shops operating under licenses issued by the Allied Health Professionals Council, warning that such outlets are operating illegally.
Speaking at a press conference Friday, NDA public relations officer Abiaz Rwamwiri said several drug shops had been misled by an agency whose mandate is limited to registering and licensing health professionals, not facilities. Licensing drug shops, he said, is the sole responsibility of the NDA.
The warning follows a notice issued by the Allied Health Professionals Council more than a week ago announcing that it had begun registering and licensing drug shops managed by dispensers in private practice.
The notice, dated Jan. 21, 2026, states that a sample certificate of registration for drug shops was published in the Uganda Gazette on Sept. 26, 2025. Earlier, on Jan. 8, the council wrote to district health officers, divisional medical officers and principal medical officers informing them of the development.
Although the NDA was listed as a recipient of the correspondence, Rwamwiri said the authority never received the letters. He said this raised concerns that the omission may have been deliberate and intended to give district health officials the impression that the council was acting in coordination with the regulator.
Rwamwiri added that the NDA later verified that all other stakeholders listed as recipients had received the letters.
The council’s registrar, Peter Nyamutale, was unreachable by phone and direct message by press time. He later responded in a message saying he had received the NDA’s letter and would present it to the Pharmacy Board and the Allied Health Professionals Council before issuing a formal response.
Nyamutale advised the media to consult the Allied Health Professionals Act, citing Part VI, Sections 28, 30 and 31, which he said authorize the council to license and register dispensers in private practice.
According to the council, its decision is based on Cap. 296 of the Allied Health Practitioners Act. Section 28 allows dispensers to engage in private practice by operating and managing drug shops, while Section 31 provides for the registration of allied health units.
