KAMPALA, UGANDA: October 4, 2025 — The Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU) has issued a strong statement, warning that the country’s healthcare system is sitting on a “time bomb” after over 100 children in Ntungamo District suffered adverse drug events following the administration of a wrong medicine during a mass deworming exercise.
The incident, which occurred on November 4th, saw more than 100 children admitted to health facilities after they were mistakenly given Phenobarbitone, a drug typically used to treat epilepsy, instead of the intended deworming medication, Albendazole. The Ministry of Health confirmed the reports of the mix-up.
The PSU, which is the national professional body for pharmacists, stated that the incident was “totally unacceptable” and highlighted a critical crisis in pharmaceutical service provision across Uganda.
Staffing Crisis Identified as Root Cause
The Society placed the blame for the life-threatening error squarely on the “gross inadequacy” of pharmaceutical staffing, which leads to unqualified personnel managing essential medicine stocks and dispensing.
“The incident involved in the exercise were negligent and lacked the expertise of pharmacists on the drug molecules,” the statement from Dr. Lutoti Stephen, Secretary of the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda, read. “Most drugs are chemicals that require expertise of pharmacists to properly handle them.”
The PSU noted that staffing levels in Ntungamo and other districts are grossly insufficient. According to approved public service structure, general hospitals should have at least one senior pharmacist and one pharmacist. Crucially, even Health Centre IV facilities should have one pharmacist dedicated to handling the drug supply chain.
However, the PSU confirmed that many of these essential positions are not filled, contributing to a systemic weakness that directly led to the wrong drug being administered. The Society specifically cited facilities in Rubare, Rwaashameire, Ntungamo Municipality, and Rukoni as having unfilled positions, with Itojo Hospital also below its required staffing complement.
Urgent Call for Government Action
Citing the risk that “many Ugandans will continue to die or be adversely affected by drugs,” the PSU urged the Government to take immediate, definitive action.
The key demands presented to the government include:
- Immediate recruitment and deployment of pharmacists at all Hospitals and Health Centre IV facilities in Uganda.
- Ensuring necessary resources are allocated to support the entire healthcare system, arguing that the failure of local governments to prioritize the recruitment of pharmacists is the core problem.
The Society emphasized that pharmacists have the expertise to “manufacture drugs, assess their quality, safety and efficacy of the drugs and ensure their appropriate transportation, storage, distribution and clinical use by patients,” stressing that without them deployed in hospitals, public safety remains compromised. The PSU concludes that the matter of pharmacist recruitment and deployment must be prioritized immediately to avert further tragedies.
