A city woman was shocked to find out that a pharmacy in one of the posh malls is selling expired over the counter drugs.

Here is her account.

Me: Have you checked the expiry of those tablets? (she has just clipped off some 4 tabs from a strip).

Attendant: They are okay (quickly slipping the 4 tabs in an envelop for me, and putting the rest into carton box pack).

Me: Let me see that (picking the box with the remaining tabs. I pull out a trip of tabs and the expiry date has been cut off. I read the date on the box, and expiry is January 2018). These are expired, I can't take this.

Attendant: (Acting surprised) really? How did that happen? (She calls to another attendant) Bring me another packet of...(the medicine).

(I'm very keen by now...)

Attendant: This is new; it has not been opened. (She goes ahead to open it and pulls out a new strip of tablets).

Me: Let me see that first (I say and reach out for the packet before she can cut off the 4 tabs I needed. To my surprise those had even expired earlier - December 2017).

She continued, "I'm now not amused; thinking that they would've sold me expired drugs. The attendant offers a not-so-convincing explanation that the drugs were delivered to them this week and since there are so many of them (employees) receiving the drugs on delivery, she wouldn't know who accepted expired drugs...Long story short.... Check the date on the meds before you take them out of a drug store or even a hospital pharmacy."

This comes as a time when Isiolo Governor Mohammed Kuti has ordered Isiolo Referral Hospital to destroy all expired drugs to ensure are not diverted and sold by unscrupulous dealers.

Kuti, who made an impromptu visit to the referral hospital on Monday, was shocked the hospital still had drugs two years past their expiry date.

He said the drugs should be disposed as the hospital incinerator is working.

“These drugs might find their way back into the market. There should be no excuse why these drugs should not be disposed of,” he said.