The Pharmacy and Poisons Board is the body responsible for assessing and licensing any qualified pharmacists across the country. They offer assessments for both diploma and degree levels, as long as the individual studied at recognized institution. The PPB also offers assessment tests for foreign individuals who wish to work in Kenya as pharmaceutical technologists or simply pharmacists. Without going through the various tests, one cannot acquire the legally required licence to practice. Here is more on how to register and renew your license with PPB.

Understanding the Pharmacy and Poisons Board

The PPB established under the Pharmacy and Poisons Act, Chapter 244, is the Drug Regulatory Authority in Kenya. It controls the manufacture and distribution of drugs and poisons, while ensuring professionalism among the individuals who handle the same. PPB also sets the standards of safety, efficacy, and quality of all locally manufactured, exported, imported, and distributed drugs, chemicals, and medical equipment, in order to protect the consumers.

Recently, the PPB launched a digital portal that allowed for fast and more convenient operations. The portal allows learners and seekers of practising licences to access clinical trials, professional verifications, payment methods and registration processes, among many others,

How to Register as a Pharmacist or Pharmaceutical Technologist

To be eligible for official enrolment, one must hold a diploma or degree in a relevant pharmaceutical course and from a recognized institution.

There are two types of examinations for each group namely:

Level I and II for Pharmaceutical Technologists and Stage I and II for Pharmacists.

Level I: Administered to individuals with a diploma acquired from foreign colleges approved by the PPB.

Level II: Administered to students from KMTC and those that successfully finish their 7-month attachment.

Stage I: Available to students with a degree from a foreign University. Upon passing, the individual must undertake a one-year internship supervised by the PPB.

Stage II: Administered to degree holders from University of Nairobi and other approved Kenyan institutions. Students who successfully complete Stage I exams and their one-year internship should do the Stage II tests. Upon passing Stage II exams, individuals gain entry into the Pharmacists’ Register.

Steps to follow

1. Go to your computer and log into your account on the PPB portal.
2. Once in, navigate through the tabs and click on ‘Exams’. This will take you to the exam application page.
3. Depending on the applicable option, choose ‘First Time’ or ‘Re-sit’.
4. The new window will prompt you to upload the required documents. Make sure to upload them in the given order. After confirmation click save and continue.
5. On successful uploading, the portal shall generate an invoice indicating the required fees for the application.
6. Click on the ‘Payments’ tab and follow the instructions carefully. If successful, the PPB portal shall generate a receipt for your records.
7. Finally, make sure to check your email where the PPB portal shall send your examination card. Make sure to download and print it because you cannot sit any exam without it.

How to obtain a Licence

After finishing all the tests successfully, you can track the status of your licensing process via the PPB portal. Just log into your account, navigate to the ‘License Status’ tab, select ‘Cadre/Type’ and provide your registration number. The portal will then let you know how far the process is.