MWE Correspondent
Across Tanzania, a quiet but alarming trend is emerging — pharmacies are increasingly selling antibiotics and other prescription drugs without requiring a doctor’s prescription.
What was once a tightly controlled practice meant to ensure safe medication use has now turned into a widespread habit, putting millions of lives at risk.
Health experts warn that this unchecked behavior could spiral into a serious public health emergency. Pharmacies, which were originally designed to dispense medicines only after a doctor’s evaluation, are now acting as informal treatment centers. Many Tanzanians, seeking quick and affordable relief, walk in with symptoms and walk out with antibiotics — often without any proper diagnosis.
According to the Pharmacy Council of Tanzania, medicines such as Amoxicillin, Doxycycline, and antimalarial drugs like Artemether–Lumefantrine (ALU) are classified as prescription-only medications. This means they should be given only under a doctor’s written authorization. But on the ground, the rules are often ignored.
“People come in with coughs, fever, or even a sore throat, and ask for antibiotics by name,” says a pharmacist in Dar es Salaam. “If we refuse to sell, they’ll simply go to another shop. So, many end up giving in just to keep business running.”
While this convenience may seem helpful in the short term, experts caution that the long-term effects could be devastating. One of the most alarming consequences is Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) — a phenomenon where bacteria and viruses adapt, making once-powerful drugs ineffective.
A global study published in The Lancet revealed that AMR contributed to more than 4.7 million deaths worldwide. If no urgent action is taken, scientists predict that this figure could increase by 70 percent by 2050. Sub-Saharan Africa, including Tanzania, is expected to be among the hardest-hit regions.
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In Tanzania, public-health researchers have found that more than 90 percent of pharmacies visited in recent surveys dispensed antibiotics without any prescription. Worse still, less than two percent of sellers asked for proof of a doctor’s advice before handing over the drugs.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly called for stricter measures to combat AMR. The organization recommends stronger enforcement of pharmacy regulations, greater public awareness, and the inclusion of antimicrobial stewardship programs to help drug sellers understand the dangers of misuse.
Medical professionals in the country agree that unless strict action is taken — including routine inspections and penalties for illegal dispensing — Tanzania could face a wave of drug-resistant infections that are harder, and sometimes impossible, to treat.
As one public health expert put it: “Every time an antibiotic is taken unnecessarily, we give bacteria a chance to learn how to survive it. We are slowly losing the power to cure common infections.”
