The Ministry of Health has defended the 2026 Good Pharmacy Practice Standards, saying the new guidelines do not lock out diploma holders from practice but instead set competency-based requirements for superintendents in charge of pharmacies.
In a press statement issued on Thursday, September 2, 2026, Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the Ministry had taken note of demonstrations by holders of Diploma in Pharmacy regarding the new Standards.
The Ministry said the Standards do not bar any category of pharmacy professionals from practising at any level of the health system, provided they are duly enrolled or registered, licensed and operate within their lawful scope of practice.
2026 Good Pharmacy Practice Standards
According to the statement, the Standards distinguish between working as a pharmacy professional at a particular level of care and serving as the superintendent who bears overall professional and regulatory responsibility for a facility.
The Ministry said the minimum qualification of the superintendent must correspond to the nature, complexity and level of risk of the pharmaceutical services offered.
“This is a competency-based patient-safety measure,” the statement said, adding that as services become more specialised and risks increase, the qualifications of the person bearing overall responsibility must increase accordingly.
The CS said the Standards are intended to protect patients, assure quality of care and strengthen the sector’s ability to address illegal and unethical practices, including the renting or leasing of professional licences, operation of premises without proper oversight and misuse of antimicrobials and narcotic substances.
Are 2026 Good Pharmacy Practice Standards constitutional?
The Ministry said the Standards are grounded in Articles 43 and 46 of the Constitution and Section 3B(3)(a) of CAP 244 Laws of Kenya, which mandates the Pharmacy and Poisons Board to promote pharmacy practice that complies with universally accepted norms.
Additionally, the Ministry clarified that the Standards were not developed abruptly, noting that the process took more than five years and involved eleven iterations and multiple rounds of stakeholder engagement.
The Standards will take effect on January 1, 2027, with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board expected to provide clarification and implementation support in the interim.
