The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has warned those who are using social media to promote illegal drugs that they run the risk of going to jail.
In a statement, MCAZ stated that it was against the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act to advertise medications on social media platforms. Read the statement:
The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has expressed concern over the increased advertising of medicines on social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter.
They claimed that the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act (Chapter 15:03) forbade the promotion of any medicine through any kind of advertising, including written, graphical, visual, or other descriptive material as well as verbal statements or references.
MCAZ said Section 65(1)(b) prohibits advertising any other medicine without the approval of the authority in writing.
Anyone who violates the terms of these regulations will be found guilty and sentenced to a fine, a six-month prison sentence, or both.
MCAZ declared that it would work with the police to take the required actions, such as filing charges against persons who unlawfully advertise medications on social media.