The Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU) has asked the Ministry of Health to correct what it describes as an anomaly in the appointment of the Registrar and Secretary of the Pharmacy Board, arguing that the Commissioner for Pharmaceuticals and Natural Medicines should hold the position by virtue of that office.
In a clarification issued following its 61st emergency meeting held on October 13, 2026, the society said the appointment should comply with the Pharmacy and Drugs Act, which provides for the Chief Pharmacist to serve as a member of the Pharmacy Board and as its Registrar and Secretary.
PSU Secretary Dr Stephen Lutoti said the society’s position was based on the legal requirements governing the composition of the board and the statutory responsibilities attached to the registration of pharmacists.
“For the Pharmacy Board to be properly constituted, one of the members shall be the Chief Pharmacist who shall be the Registrar and Secretary of the Board,” Lutoti said.
He explained that although the Ministry of Health’s current administrative structure does not expressly provide for a position titled Chief Pharmacist, the society considers the Commissioner for Pharmaceuticals and Natural Medicines, who heads the Pharmacy Department, to be the equivalent office holder.
“The established equivalent of the Chief Pharmacist in the Ministry of Health structure is the Head of Pharmacy Department, who is the Commissioner Pharmaceuticals and Natural Medicines,” Lutoti said.
According to PSU, the arrangement is comparable to that of the Chief Medical Officer, whose equivalent in the ministry’s current structure is the Director General of Health Services.
The society said the registration of pharmacists is a statutory responsibility that should be exercised by the office bearer designated by law, rather than treated as a routine administrative assignment.
Lutoti warned that failure to comply with the legal provisions governing the Pharmacy Board could expose registration decisions to future disputes over their validity and the board’s proper constitution.
“The registration of pharmacists is a statutory function, not merely an administrative assignment, and must be performed by the office bearer as expressly provided by law to avoid future litigations concerning the legality of registration of members and the proper composition of the Board,” he said.
PSU also pointed to the Pharmacy Board’s leadership structure, noting that the Director General of Health Services, who occupies a role equivalent to that of the Chief Medical Officer, serves as chairperson of the board.
The society said this hierarchy reinforces the need for the ministry to ensure that the corresponding statutory responsibilities within the pharmacy profession are assigned in accordance with the law.
However, the position represents PSU’s interpretation of the applicable legal provisions, and the Ministry of Health’s response to the society’s concerns was not included in the clarification.
PSU further cited historical cases in which certificates of registration issued in the 1990s were cancelled and subsequently returned in the 2000s following concerns about irregular registration processes.
The society said the incidents underscored the importance of strict adherence to the law when registering pharmacists and constituting the Pharmacy Board.
It argued that clearly establishing the statutory responsibilities of the Registrar and Secretary would help minimise the risk of future legal disputes and strengthen confidence in the regulation of the profession.
PSU acknowledged pharmacists who have previously served in administrative and supportive capacities as Acting Registrar, recognising their contribution to the Ministry of Health.
The society also extended its appreciation to the current Acting Registrar, who it said had served in the position for the past three years.
Despite this acknowledgement, PSU called on the ministry to address what it considers an anomaly arising from the appointment of an Acting Registrar who was not the Commissioner for Pharmaceuticals and Natural Medicines, even though the commissioner’s position was substantively occupied.
The society said correcting the arrangement would restore what it considers compliance with the Pharmacy and Drugs Act.
PSU said its guidance had been communicated to the Minister of Health, the Permanent Secretary, the Director General of Health Services, the Pharmacy Board and other relevant government institutions.
The matter places renewed focus on the legal and administrative framework governing pharmacy regulation in Uganda, particularly the appointment of the Registrar and the statutory oversight of pharmacist registration.
