The Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN), on Wednesday, organised orientation and continuing education programme for patent medicine and proprietary vendors in Taraba state.
Mr. A. E. Gwa., deputy director, North East zonal office of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria explained during the event that the training was to ensure pharmaceutical vendors in Taraba obtain the legal right for operating their medicine shops.
He said the idea was to boost the standard of PCN operation and ensure all operators of medicine shops are legally licensed to guarantee the health of the masses.
“The PCN has decided not to penalise illegal operators of medicine stores but rather train and license them to operate legally.
“We feel that the two years jail term or N500,000 fine was not necessary than training vendors who are operating illegally.
“This move is to also boost our standard of operation and guarantee the health of the citizens,” Gwa explained.
Pharm. Yakubu Akau, director of pharmaceutical service, Taraba state ministry of health, noted at the orientation program that the training became necessary to ensure that all patents and proprietors of medicine stores were licensed for effective operation by PCN.
Meanwhile, the representative of the NDLEA, who is the state assistant commandant, Aliyu Obadiah Umar, commended PCN for the initiative.
Obadiah told the trainees that the continued education exercise was beyond the business approach that was to be acquired but the advice on how drugs can be appropriately used for the safety of the citizens.
He advised participants to take the training seriously as it was for life-saving purposes.