Sex pills worry govt

By Farayi Machamire

The government has stepped up its campaign to stop the irregular sale of sex pills and unregistered bedroom performance concoctions in the country.

The spokesperson of the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ), Shingai Gwatidzo, told the Daily News on Thursday that the government was worried by the flooding of the black market with these dangerous products.

“The authorities are embarking on aggressive public awareness campaigns to educate the general public on the harmful effects of buying products such as sexual performance enhancers from unapproved or unlicensed outlets such as street stalls, backpack dealers and tuckshops.

“In Zimbabwe, these medicines are desirable only if prescribed by an authorised or licensed medical practitioner, after consultation to treat an underlying medical condition.

“As such, when a medical practitioner writes a prescription for the treatment of such a condition, the patient is advised to source the medicine from a pharmacy or dispensary which is licensed according to the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act (MASCA).

“The majority of the sexual performance enhancers found on the black market are not known to authorities in terms of their safety, quality and efficacy profiles, as they have not undergone registration processes.

“Therefore, these sexual performance enhancers are illegal in as far as the requirements of the MASCA are concerned,” Gwatidzo said.

Zimbabwe has increasingly witnessed the ever rising tide of street vendors and unscrupulous pharmacies selling unregistered sex tablets and traditional medicines, which are a hit among many men and women struggling to satisfy their sex lives.

Although MCAZ launched a blitz against the illegal sale of the sex performance tablets two years ago, rampant smuggling and corruption in the country has been blamed for the re-emergence of the booming, but frowned upon black market trade.

Gwatidzo said MCAZ was working closely with the police and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) to try and stop the illegal trade.

MCAZ also said traditional herbs, including those which come from indigenous sources, as well as those imported as finished products from other countries, were also becoming a big problem.

“These medicines should be registered for sale in Zimbabwe and as such should bear Zimbabwean registration details.

“As such, the MCAZ prohibits the use of all unregistered medicines for the treatment of medical conditions.

“As the authority is responsible for protecting the public and animal health, people are advised to only source registered products from authorised and licensed sources such as clinics, hospitals and pharmacies,’ Gwatidzo told the Daily News. Daily News