Street sex drug sales worry MCAZ

Harare (New Ziana) – The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has said it was increasingly worried by the dispensing of fake sex drugs on the streets of many cities and towns in the country, particularly the capital, Harare.

The drugs, most of which are manufactured by unlicensed companies, are sold on the streets without regard to the consumer’s specific medical needs and are of unproven efficacy.

In an interview, MCAZ public relations officer, Davison Kaiyo said consumers of these drugs faced the risk of damaging their health.

Sex drugs, like all other medicines, are dispensed to patients after medical examination, and dosage is tailored to the specific needs of an individual.

But the drugs sold in the streets are dispensed without regard to these requirements, and even more worrying the efficacy of the medicines is unproven.

“The sale of unapproved medicines by unlicensed people is always a concern to the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ). Such sales put the health of the public in danger because the products being sold are not guaranteed to be safe and of good quality,” Kaiyo said.

“There is also a risk that some of these products, which are purported to be “natural” could be laced with conventional medicines, contain harmful substances, and could be substandard or falsified because they would not have gone through the appropriate regulatory channels.”

The drugs are sold in the streets by touts, who also advise clients on how to use them without the requisite medical knowledge.

Kaiyo warned the drug vendors they faced arrest as the MCAZ and various law enforcement agencies would routinely clamp down on the trade in the interest of public health.

The sex drugs are both for males and females and are meant to enhance sexual appetite.

New Ziana