FG seals off 339 pharmacies, illegal patent and medicine stores

THE Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed off a total of 339 premises made up of pharmacies, illegal medicine shops and patent medicine stores across 20 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The development followed enforcement exercise carried out by its enforcement team, which visited the states to checkmate the activities of illegal outlets which tend to encourage abuse and misuse of controlled medicines with its attendant negative social and security implications.

Addressing journalists in Abuja at the weekend, the Registrar of PCN, Elijah Mohammed, said the illegal outlets do not have trained personnel to handle the medicines in their premises.

This, according to him, has contributed immensely to irrational dispensing of medicines resulting in treatment failures and untoward effects on patients and other unsuspecting members of the public who patronize them.

He pointed out that the aim of the enforcement exercise was to ensure that all premises where medicines are sold fulfil conditions for registration with respect to storage facilities, environment and personnel.

The PCN registrar explained that a total of 496 premises comprising pharmacies, patent medicine shops and illegal medicine shops were visited.

Out of these, “a total of 339 premises made up of 20 pharmacies, 290 illegal medicine shops and 29 patent medicine stores were sealed for various offenses; some of which include operating without registration with Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, failure to renew premises license, dispensing ethical products without the supervision of a pharmacist, poor storage and sanitary conditions among other;” he said.

Mohammed advised members of the public to purchase their medicines from licensed pharmacies and simple household remedies from licensed patent and propriety medicines shops.

He commended the exercise, adding that since the enforcement activities started, the owners of some of the sealed premises have indicated their willingness to fulfil conditions for registration by upgrading their storage facilities and employing pharmacists to supervise the dispensing of ethical products.

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