Responding to a parliamentary question Wednesday, Assistant Minister of Health, Mr Lawrence Ookeditse said the medicines were disposed of to ensure compliance with Botswana Medical Regulatory Authority (BOMRA) regulations. 

Mr Ookeditse said 347 were disposed of during 2019/20, another 347 in 2020/21 and 268 in 2021/22. 

He said in 2022/23 they disposed of 342, 283 in 2023/24 and 313 in 2024/25. 

He added that the expired quantities increased during 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Mr Ookeditse further indicated the value of disposed doses due to expiration, which included P5,373 997.91 worth of medicines in 2017/19 while in 2020 destruction value stood at P10,185,638.40 and there was no destruction in 2021/22. 

In 2023, he said the value of disposed doses was P1, 424 579.01 and P1, 092,373.17 in 2024. 

He added that 1 9478 packs of 1 000 paracetamol 500mg tablets valued at P1,081,029 were also disposed of. 

Chobe MP, Mr Simasiku Mapulanga had asked the minister to state the quality of medicines which were recommended to be disposed due to expiration between 2019 and 2025 and their estimated value as recommended by BOMRA. ENDS