By Pempho Kantayeni

Lilongwe, December 4, Mana: Pharmacy and Medicine Regulatory Authority (PMRA) on Wednesday inaugurated the National Medicine Quality Control Laboratory in Lilongwe.

Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo, Chiponda officially launched the laboratory, which achieved ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation.

She said the launch and accreditation are a great milestone for the country, as the laboratory will help provide quality services in healthcare, increasing the country’s portfolio in terms of drugs and commodities. 

She said the Southern African Development Community Accreditation Service (SADACS) is happy with the equipment and systems in the laboratory.

“It is a great milestone as people and other organizations will have confidence. This can also earn the country forex as other countries can send samples for testing and give them results which can be shared globally,” she said.

She commended PMRA for its efforts in ensuring quality medicines saying government is committed to protecting public health and promoting trust in healthcare systems.

Board Chairperson for PMRA, Frider Chimimba, said accreditation of the laboratory will assist in enhancing credibility of results the laboratory produces.

She said the achievement marks a crucial milestone in Malawi’s commitment to international standards, demonstrating PMRA’s dedication to excellence in pharmaceutical product testing and quality assurance.

“The accreditation is a recognition that standards that are being set internationally are applied in Malawi. So, any of the tests done in Malawi for all the drugs that are on the market, whether in private or in government institutions, are of good quality,” she said.

Chimimba said the laboratory will ensure that efficacy and safety is provided as government and the public will have access to safe, effective and high quality medicines.