THE Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has revoked the trading licence of top Mutare pharmacist Douglas Nzombe Chiutsi.
Until April last year, Chiutsi was the managing director of Healthwell Pharmacy (Pvt) Ltd, which operated Clique Pharmacy in Mutare.
In a circular dated April 7, 2025, MCAZ’s director–general Richard Rukwata said Chiutsi was deregistered for a litany of offences committed in his capacity as the then Healthwell managing director.
He said the offences included sale of unregistered drugs which is a critical offence because of the risk it poses to the unsuspecting public.
The licence cancellation was communicated to Chiutsi on August 2 last year before being publicly advertised this month.
Clique (Healthwell) Pharmacy was named among six other pharmacies in Harare and five other licence holders.
“MCAZ advises its stakeholders of the cancellation of the following Wholesale Dealers Permits, Pharmacy Licence and Persons Licences. The cancellation periods will lapse on the dates indicated,” Rukwata said.
Further to cancelling of the licence until July 2027, MCAZ banned Chiutsi from applying for a licence or dealing in medicines for a period of three years.
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However, despite the ban, Chiutsi continues to trade in medicines and moonlights at a new outlet called Alleviate Pharmacy, located a stone's throw from where he committed the offences and MCAZ is said to be aware of that.
Chiutsi, who has been detained at least three times at the Mutare Remand Prison on fraud and forgery allegations, was arrested earlier this year while attending to clients in the Alleviate Pharmacy consultation room.
He is on bail and appeared in court on April 24 this year on one of the cases where he is facing forgery charges.
Chiutsi will also appear in court on April 28 this year, facing a charge of defrauding his former employer of US$260 000.
