Zimbabwean Health Minister Obadiah Moyo has reportedly issued a warning to pharmacies and wholesalers demanding US dollar payments for drugs, saying they should accept the dreaded local surrogate currency called bond notes.

According to New Zimbabwe.com, Moyo told senators last week that the government was taking action to remedy the situation.

"The pharmacies and medical companies should accept bond notes in swipe, RTGS or cash form. We are begging our pharmacies not to sell drugs in forex to our patients and wholesalers too should not charge drugs in US dollars to pharmacies," Moyo was quoted as saying

The health ministry's intervention came amid reports that local pharmacies were strictly selling medicines in US dollars as the bond notes value continued to decline.

An AFP report said over the weekend that lives were at risk as drug prices continued to soar in the crisis-hit southern African country.

The prices shot up after the country ran out of essential medical drugs and other basic commodities because importers were unable to secure foreign currency to replenish stocks, the report said.

* Sign up to News24's top Africa news in your inbox: SUBSCRIBE TO THE HELLO AFRICA NEWSLETTER

FOLLOW News24 Africa on Twitter and Facebook.