LUSAKA MAGISTRATE COURT FINES 38 YEARS OLD ZIMBABWEAN WOMAN K130, 000.00 FOR ILLEGALLY DEALING IN MEDICINES (EPIDERM AND BETASOL CREAMS)

 

The Lusaka Magistrate court has fined a Zimbabwean woman K130, 000.00 for illegally dealing in 12 boxes of Epiderm and 8 boxes of Betasol creams valued at an estimated cost of K39, 000.00. 

And Zambia Medicine Regulatory Authority Senior public relations officer Ludovic Mwape confirmed this in a statement issued to the media.

Mwape said that facts of the matter are that on 31st July, 2024, Inspectors from the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority in collaboration with the Zambia Police Service, following a tip from the members of the public, arrested Sandra Magwa, aged 38 of Sunningdale, Harare, Zimbabwe, after she was found along Great East Road near Waterfalls Mall in Lusaka, offloading boxes of Epiderm and Betasol Creams with the intention to transport them to Zimbabwe without documentation. 

Mr. Mwape added that the accused was arrested and charged with 2 counts. In count 1, she was charged with dealing in unregistered medicines and in count 2, failure to maintain records contrary to section 58 (2) (a) and (d) of the Medicines and Allied Substances Act No.3 of 2013.

She appeared before Honorable Mvula at Lusaka Magistrate Court on 2nd August, 2024 for plea and she pleaded guilty to the charge in both counts.  The matter was concluded on 12th August, 2024 and she was sentenced, upon conviction, to pay a fine of K80, 000.00 in count 1 and K50, 000.00 in count 2 while in default of payments, serve a custodial sentence of 8 months imprisonment. 

Both Epiderm and Betasol Creams are medicines containing corticosteroids used in the treatment of inflammatory conditions of the skin.

ZAMRA notes that these products are abused as skin lightening creams and are stocked in undesignated shops such as saloons and other places which are not authorized to stock medicines. 

Mwape has warned all those involved in the unauthorized import, distribution, storage and sell of these products that we are equal to the task of ensuring that only registered medicines and allied substances with proper documentation and marketing authorization obtained from ZAMRA are allowed to be stocked and sold in designated outlets on the Zambian market.

He says this is to ensure the safety of the public from unauthorized medicines and allied substances. Failure to adhere to the set standards will result in offenders being prosecuted.