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Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Ms Mary Muthoni Muriuki has ignited a national conversation after revealing how easily she bought a prescription-only antibiotic from a pharmacy without any medical assessment.

In a Facebook post on Thursday morning, Ms Muthoni said she walked into a high-end pharmacy and asked for Augmentin, an antibiotic. She was not asked for a prescription. No questions were raised about dosage, age, or condition. She paid Sh1,500 and walked out.

“This is unacceptable and dangerous,” the PS said, warning that uncontrolled access to antibiotics is accelerating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a global health threat that weakens the effectiveness of life-saving medicines.

Ms Muthoni said the pharmacy had been reported to the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB), adding that order and accountability must be restored in the dispensing of medicines.

Her post quickly drew hundreds of reactions, with Kenyans using the moment to reveal what many described as routine abuse in the health system.

Several commenters said self-medication has become the norm because public hospitals are broken, expensive, or inaccessible.

“We Google and get prescriptions from chemists because hospitals have become butcheries,” wrote Mwihaki Ann, echoing frustration shared widely in the comments.

Others pointed to the Social Health Authority (SHA), saying failures in implementation are pushing patients away from formal care.

“Walk into a health centre and ask if they are taking SHA. You will be shocked,” said Dexx Ndegwa.

Some Kenyans said pharmacies regularly issue strong medicines without explanation, even for minor ailments.

Besh Machio recounted being given a powerful, addictive painkiller for a headache in Naivasha, only realising the risk after reading the label.

“I wondered how many people even read what they are given,” he said.

While many supported the PS’s action, others questioned whether enforcement alone would fix the problem.

Health professionals and policy advocates argued that patient education is as critical as regulation.

“This reminds us of the huge gap between policy and practice on the ground,” wrote Irene Ogongo, adding that most patients begin their healthcare journey at pharmacies.

Some commenters also challenged consumers to take responsibility.

Joakim Ndusi said demanding prescription-only drugs without seeing a doctor fuels the very crisis being condemned.

“Medicines are not ordinary commodities,” he noted.

Others accused the government of targeting pharmacies while ignoring failures in hospitals.

“Make SHA effective so we can see doctors and get proper lab tests,” wrote Kui Kagz, reflecting concerns that high costs drive people to chemists.

Despite the divergent views, there was broad agreement that antimicrobial resistance is real and dangerous.

Health experts noted that antibiotics should only be used after proper diagnosis, and where possible, supported by laboratory evidence.

Kenyan law classifies antibiotics as prescription-only medicines, with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board mandated to regulate their sale.

Ms Muthoni said the incident exposed a systemic failure that demands urgent action, warning that without reforms, Kenya risks losing the fight against drug-resistant infections.