Fake or genuine?: 5 new clues that expose counterfeit P-2 in Kenyan market
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- The Pharmacy and Poisons Board detected a counterfeit batch of Postinor-2 emergency contraceptive tablets through post-marketing surveillance
- PPB CEO Dr Ahmed Mohamed warned the falsified batch may contain harmful contaminants or no active ingredient at all
- Two individuals were arrested in connection with the fake Postinor-2 batch as investigations into its source and distribution continue
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) has issued an urgent public alert warning Kenyans against a falsified batch of Postinor-2 emergency contraceptive tablets that has been detected in the Kenyan market.
The counterfeit product bears the labelling of Postinor-2 (Levonorgestrel 0.75mg) tablets under Batch No. T34197R, and falsely attributes its manufacture to Hungarian pharmaceutical firm Gedeon Richter Plc. The PPB identified the fake batch through routine post-marketing surveillance activities designed to monitor health products in circulation across Kenya.
Health Risks of the Fake Batch
PPB Chief Executive Officer Dr Ahmed Mohamed cautioned that the falsified product poses direct health dangers to users. "This batch may contain incorrect amounts of the active ingredient, no active ingredient at all, harmful contaminants, or undeclared substances," Dr Mohamed said, adding that the product may fail to deliver the intended therapeutic effect.
The concern is grounded in documented precedent. The World Health Organisation previously recorded falsified Postinor-2 circulating across East Africa in 2015, with laboratory testing confirming that at least one version contained no active pharmaceutical ingredient whatsoever.
How to Spot the Counterfeit P-2 today
The PPB has outlined specific physical differences between the fake Batch T34197R and genuine Postinor-2 products supplied by Gedeon Richter.
The counterfeit packaging uses a different batch-printing technique, contains a patient information leaflet riddled with typographical and printing errors, and is sealed using a method that differs from the standard hot-melt closure on authentic products.
The orange colouring on the falsified batch is also noticeably more intense than the standard shade, and the logo visible after scratching the authentication panel appears in a different font from that used on genuine stock.
"These observations strongly indicate that the product is falsified and is not manufactured or released by Gedeon Richter," the Board stated.
Arrests and Government Action
Two individuals have already been arrested in connection with the falsified batch, and investigations remain ongoing to determine how the product entered Kenya, its origin, and how widely it has spread through the supply chain.
The alert arrives as the government intensifies its crackdown on substandard and counterfeit medicines.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale inaugurated an Interministerial Steering Committee in July 2026 to oversee Kenya's National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products.
Between 2021 and 2025, the PPB recorded 1,413 product quality complaints, coordinated 99 product recalls, and issued 18 public alerts on suspected falsified medicines.
During a week-long operation in June 2026, the Board arrested 95 unregistered practitioners and shut down 48 unlicensed premises, seizing approximately 169 cartons of medicines.
Healthcare professionals have been urged to verify the authenticity of their stocks before dispensing any product and to quarantine any consignment they suspect may be falsified.
The PPB has warned that procuring medicines from unlicensed sources "constitutes a violation of the Pharmacy and Poisons Act, Cap 244 of the Laws of Kenya."
Members of the public can report suspected falsified medicines by dialling USSD code \*271#, emailing pv@ppb.go.ke or pms@ppb.go.ke, calling 0795743049, or using the mPvERS mobile application available on Android and iOS.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.