It’s illegal for Agric ministry to seal any pharmacy, ACPN Chairman tells Oyo govt

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Oyo State branch has declared that the Veterinary Council of Nigeria has no right to seal any pharmacy in the state regardless of the state’s 2018 Veterinary Practicing Premises Registration Regulation.

ACPN’s Chairman, Mr Adebayo Gbadamosi, at a press briefing on the recent attempts by the officials of Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture to seal pharmacies not registered with the Ministry that sell veterinary drugs in Ibadan, said the action is capable of breaching the peace, breaking down law and order as well as enthrone anarchy in the state.

Mr Gbadomosi, who was flanged by the Chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Oyo State branch, Mr Adegboyega Oguntoye, the immediate chairman of PSN, Mr Abiodun Ajibade, Mr Taofeek Odukoya and Mr Obajimi Jaiyesimi, at the briefing, said the attempt at sealing these pharmacies based on the 2018 Veterinary Practicing Premises Registration Regulation, was illegal.

He declared that ACPN had filed a suit to challenge the provisions of the Veterinary Practicing Premises Registration Regulation at the Federal high court of Nigeria Ibadan on February 2023 and still awaiting the outcome of the suit in court.

According to him, ACPN members work according to the ethics of pharmacy profession and are law-abiding professionals but would not allow any person, group of persons or other professionals like veterinary doctors to cast aspersion on pharmacy practice in the eye of the public

“The Veterinary Practicing Premises Registration Regulation 2018 is a law passed by the Oyo State House of Assembly without due process of proper public hearing and inputs from various sectors of the state that the law would ultimately affect.

“Some sections of this law passed by the Oyo State House of Assembly are in affront to the National Assembly Federal Government exclusive legislation which cannot be subsumed under the Oyo State House of Assembly legislation.

“Drug matters just like national security are under Federal government exclusive legislation and this includes both human and animal medicines. It is only the National Assembly that has the right to legislate on such matters and where any state dabbles into it, the outcome is contrary to the National Assembly’s position, the provision of the National Assembly naturally supersedes.

“State’s House of Assembly has the power to legislate on matters on concurrent legislative list but in this case not drugs.”

Mr Gbadomosi declared that Hon. Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court of Nigeria in a previous suit to determine whether veterinary doctors are not legally empowered to handle veterinary drugs also affirmed that the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) is the legal entity for the regulation of animal drugs and biological and determines who stores, sell and dispense animal drugs and biologics are to be handled.

Chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria Oyo State branch, Mr Adegboyega Oguntoye said the recent attempts by the officials of Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture to seal pharmacies that sell veterinary drugs was unfortunate as both the pharmacy and veterinary professions work towards ensuring public safety.

Mr Oguntoye urged the Oyo State government to step into the matter to prevent misinterpretation of the laws that govern both the pharmacy and veterinary medical practice in Nigeria.

In a remark, Mr Taofeek Odukoya, the Medical Director of Vanguard Pharmacy, stated that it is a global practice that drugs are handled by pharmacists and so Nigeria should not be an exception.

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