Towards the end of 2015, the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) wrote to media organizations to stop accepting adverts on herbal medicines.
In his statement, ZAMRA director general Esnart Mwape said there had been gross advertising of medicines without marketing authorization. She urged media houses to only publish adverts for medicines that are accompanied by written approvals from ZAMRA.
According to the Medicines and Allied Substance Act number of 2013, a person shall not place on the market, advertise, manufacture, sell, import, supply, administer or deal in any manner with any medicines or allied substance without marketing authorization issued by ZAMRA.
Any person who publishes such adverts or statement by printing it in any newspaper shall be guilty of an offence and will be liable to conviction, a fine not exceeding K400, 000 or imprisonment.
