THE number of pharmacies operating illegally in the capital has fallen slightly over the past three months, according to a report released Wednesday.

Released by the Phnom Penh Committee for Eliminating Fake Drugs and Illegal Health Care Services for the Reduction of Poverty, the report said there are 155 unlicensed pharmacies in the city compared with 162 in the previous quarter.

Uoch Sam, deputy director of the Phnom Penh Municipal Health Department, attributed the reduction to increased cooperation among local authorities. “We are really concerned about illegal pharmacies because they negatively affect people’s health,” he said. “Unlicensed pharmacies are mostly owned by non-qualified pharmacists. Some medicines are expired, so there is no quality control.”

Chan Sam An, deputy governor of Phnom Penh, said it is vital that health officials work with authorities in each of the city’s eight districts to approach the remaining unlicensed pharmacies and advise them to register at the Ministry of Public Health.