The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) in Edo State has disclosed that it has effected the closure of at least 380 illegal pharmacies and patent medicine stores during facility inspection and enforcement exercise the state.
The council’s Director of Inspection and Monitoring, Pharmacist Anthonia O. Aruya, disclosed this in Benin weekend while briefing journalists, adding that about 270 illegal patient medicine stores and 38 pharmacies were affected by the exercise.
According to her, the premises were sealed for various offences, ranging from failure to renew licenses, dispensing ethical products without the supervision of pharmacists and poor sanitary condition, among others.
Mrs Aruya noted that the inspection was carried out to ensure that the right storage environment is maintained to preserve the pharmacological and pharmacokinetic integrity of medicines.
She said, “PCN cannot guarantee that drugs sold in unregistered outlets are of the same integrity as specified by the manufacturers since they have not submitted to the regulation that ensure maintenance of minimum standard for handling such products.
“We observed in Edo that many people were operating without registration, while others failed to renew their licences.
“Some of them even stored products in enviroments, where quality, safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products cannot be guaranteed.”
Mrs Aruya said the enforcement was a corrective measure to do the right thing, noting that if not checked, the trend could become very dangerous to the public.
She pointed out that those who complied with the council after the inspection and enforcement exercise would be trained and enlightened on drug administration, while others who failed to comply would be prosecuted.
The council advised members of the public to purchase medicines from licensed pharmacies and patient medicines vendors so as to ensure sanity in drug distributing system.
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