A new draft law prescribing authorised medical drugs is ready for further scrutiny and subsequent approval, a health official has said.

Dr. Viateur Mutanguha, the Director of Pharmacies in the Ministry of Health, Thursday confirmed the formulation of the law by health experts who revised the old legislation.

"The drafted law which is now in the Prime Minister’s Office addresses a range of issues including the production, distribution and use of harmful medical drugs” said Mutanguha.

Under the new law, pharmacists will have to keep better user records of use of high risk drugs like diazepam used for short-term relief of anxiety or tension and as a muscle relaxant.

Mutanguha said that the Ministry of Health intends to issue guidelines on how to criminalise illicit drugs that are imported or produced for the Rwandan market.

The revise of Rwanda’s new drug law coincides with the global call of the UN Office Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) for a focus on drug control.

The UN body calls for grass-roots efforts to help fight drug abuse, with civil society and the media taking a leading role to promote consumer boycotts against such health hazards.

"I concur with the UN on focusing on the grass-roots because that is where we can be able to prevent incidents of drug abuse,” Mutanguha said.

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