Goal: to provide a comprehensive, appropriate legislative framework for effective implementation of the NDP.

Objectives:

1. To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the drug regulatory agency in ensuring the required control of human, veterinary and commercial traditional medicines

2. To ensure that all forms of drug handling are appropriately regulated, duly authorised and licensed

3. To ensure that all persons involved in drug handling are appropriately licensed

4. To ensure that pharmaceutical professional practices are effectively monitored and controlled by the relevant professional bodies according to the applicable statutes

5. To ensure that all premises where drugs are handled (eg. manufacturing, wholesale, retail) are regularly inspected, appropriately regulated and duly authorised and licensed

6. To facilitate efficient and reliable human and veterinary drug registration according to strictly defined criteria

7. To promote a strong awareness in the public of the need for appropriate controls on the handling and use of drugs, and on substances of abuse.

8. To develop appropriate terms of reference and financial mechanisms to ensure the sustainable and effective functioning of the drug regulatory agency.

Strategies:

1. Update existing pharmaceutical legislation to take account of the changing environment (eg. health policy, decentralization, professional laws) and to generally improve Government regulation and control of all aspects of drug handling and use, including drug manufacture, import, export, marketing, storage, sale and supply

2. Strengthen and streamline the regulations, processes and procedures and ensure the human resource, technical, financial and logistical capacity necessary for the effective application of legislation, including in particular those required for enforcement

3. Improve the reliability, efficiency and effectiveness of the drug registration process

4. Enhance the capacity of the drug regulatory agency to effectively implement controls on veterinary and commercial traditional medicines

5. Improve the inspection and licensing of pharmaceutical premises (eg. factories, stores, pharmacies, drug shops, etc)

6. Improve procedures for the evaluation, monitoring, control and support supervision of all pharmaceutical personnel

7. Establish a reliable and well-functioning national drug quality control laboratory which is administratively independent but functionally linked to the drug regulatory agency

8. Collaborate with other national, regional and international agencies in efforts to combat drug and substance abuse, illicit drug sales and counterfeit drugs and to ensure adequate control of the handling and use of all drugs and chemicals in circulation

9. Build capacity both at the centre and district to enable and maintain effective decentralisation of drug regulatory activities

10. Use appropriate communication strategies to sensitize the public on hazards associated with all forms of unauthorised drug handling and use and the need to have effective enforcement and strengthening of regulatory controls.