PCN sealed off 378 pharmacy outlets in Osun

THE Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), on Friday in Osogbo, said no fewer than 378 pharmaceutical outlets have been sealed off in Osun State for flouting regulatory procedures.

Making this disclosure while addressing a press conference, the director, inspection and monitoring of PCN, Mrs Anthonia O. Aruya hinted that “as a date, the council had visited 27 states across the nation”, saying “observations from the field in Osun revealed that many people go into sales of medicines without following due process”.

She maintained that such development was capable of exposing the general public in the state to great danger, just as she stressed that drug distribution inspection committee, an enforcement arm of the “PCN has been carrying out enforcement activities in fulfillment of its mandate of ensuring that minimum standards of practice are maintained by all players in the pharmaceutical sector”.

According to Aruya, ” at the end of the exercise in Osun, a total of 501 premises, comprising of pharmacy and patient medicine stores were visited, 378 premises were sealed, comprising of 20 pharmacies and 358 patient medicine stores”.

She continued, “nine premises were given compliance directives for various offences ranging from improper handling of controlled substances, unhygienic environment and poor documentation, dispensing ethical/prescription drugs without the presence of pharmacist”.

“The general public is advised to source its drug needs from registered pharmacy outlet and registered patient medicine shops for over the counter drugs as drugs in unregistered outlets cannot be guaranteed to be genuine”, Aruya remarked.