Tramadol tabs confiscated from suspects in Melut, Upper Nile|Courtesy

The Director General of the Drug and Food Control Authority has warned of legal action against pharmaceutical companies and retail pharmacies selling narcotic medicines without doctors’ prescriptions.

Dr. Peter Agwak issued the stern warning during a workshop in Juba on Friday.

The workshop, organized by the Drug and Food Control Authority, brought together government institutions, professional associations, and international partners to discuss regulatory frameworks and capacity building for effective control of food and drug standards.

Dr. Agwak stressed the need for strict guidelines, inspections, and robust monitoring to safeguard public health.

“We call our older partners, the NGOs, and there are the stakeholders and pharmaceutical companies, the retail pharmacy, they have to give the guidelines. No medicine will be sold without the papers. At the same time, we also don’t need to run out to sell the narcotic medicine. The young generation is getting narcotic medicine without prescriptions,” he said.

“We tell all the companies in the retail pharmacies, so they cannot sell the narcotic drugs. Otherwise, they will face legal action because we need to serve our population by getting the harmful product.”

Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the Authority, Dr. Mayan Atem, urged the public to avoid buying medicines from street vendors and only purchase drugs from licensed pharmacies.

“I want to assure our public that it’s important to go to the right place to get medicine and not just to pay for any medicine. It has to be quality medicine, and you can’t get quality medicine until you go to the right place, like a pharmacy,” he said.

“I want to inform the public not to buy medicine from people who sell medicine on the streets, but rather go to licensed pharmacies.”

In related developments, on Friday, police in Melut County, Upper Nile State, arrested several suspects accused of selling narcotic drugs, including Tramadol. Authorities also shut down suspicious checkpoints and locations linked to illegal drug activities.

The Managing Director of Palouch Payam, Yohanna Monygolia, revealed that the seized drugs were smuggled into the county through Palouch Airport from Juba. He called for tighter airport security to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Additionally, authorities reminded the public and health workers of existing legal provisions related to adulterated drugs. According to the section on the sale of adulterated drugs, it is a criminal offence to knowingly sell or distribute adulterated medical products.

This includes any drug or medical preparation that has been altered in a way that reduces its effectiveness, changes its function, or makes it harmful.

If someone sells, offers, or exposes such a drug for sale—or issues it from a dispensary as if it were unadulterated—they are committing an offence. The same applies if the adulterated product is used for medical purposes by someone unaware of its condition.

Upon conviction, the offender may be sentenced to imprisonment for up to two years, fined, or both.