The Ministry of Health has ordered the Allied Health Professionals Council (AHPC) to immediately stop licensing drug shops, insisting that the responsibility to regulate medicines and premises dealing in drugs rests solely with the National Drug Authority (NDA).
The directive is contained in a June 11, 2026 letter signed by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Diana Atwine, and follows months of disagreement over who has the legal mandate to oversee dispensers operating drug shops in Uganda.
According to the Ministry, AHPC has been acting beyond its statutory powers by continuing to register and license drug shops despite an earlier resolution directing it to halt the practice.
“AHPC must cease and desist from licensing drug shops or premises dealing in drugs,” Dr Atwine stated.
The Ministry argued that the recently enacted National Drug and Health Products Authority Act, 2026, designates the NDA as the sole agency responsible for regulating the quality, safety, distribution, and sale of medicines in Uganda, including the licensing of drug outlets.
It emphasized that AHPC’s role under the Allied Health Professionals Act is limited to supervising allied health practitioners and does not extend to regulating medicines or the premises where they are stocked and sold.
“The Allied Health Professionals Act empowers AHPC to regulate the practice of allied health professionals, not the products (drugs) or premises where drugs are sold,” the letter states.
Dr Atwine also cited the Court of Appeal decision in CISE Dispensers (U) Ltd v Executive Secretary, NDA, which reaffirmed the NDA’s exclusive mandate to regulate drug outlets.
The Ministry further warned that possession, sale, or supply of medicines through unlicensed premises constitutes an offence under the law.
“Any allied health professional or unit in possession of drugs without NDA approval is in unlawful possession. Likewise, any supplier providing drugs to such units without NDA authorization is acting illegally,” the Ministry cautioned.
The dispute traces back to an April 2026 communication from AHPC Registrar Peter Nyamutale, who informed the Ministry that the council had resolved to continue licensing drug shops operated by dispensers pending formal guidance.
In his letter, Nyamutale cited Section 28(a) of the Allied Health Professionals Act and expressed uncertainty over the implementation of recommendations made during a joint regulatory meeting held on February 11, 2026, which had reportedly agreed that AHPC should stop registering drug shops.
However, the Ministry has now moved to settle the matter, directing that any allied health professional intending to operate a drug shop must first obtain approval from the NDA, including a Certificate of Suitability of Premises and a valid drug shop operating licence issued after inspection.
“Any allied health professional intending to operate a drug shop must first obtain NDA approval, including a Certificate of Suitability of Premises and a drug shop licence following inspection,” the Ministry said.
The directive is expected to significantly alter licensing procedures for drug outlets nationwide and could bring an end to long-standing regulatory tensions between professional councils and Uganda’s drug control authorities.
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