The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), on Friday, sealed 443 pharmacies and patent medicine premises in nine Taraba local government areas.
Head of Enforcement, PCN, Dr Suleiman Chiroma, disclosed in a press briefing in Jalingo that 656 premises were visited during the operation in Sardauna, Gashaka, Kurmi, Bali, Ardo Kola, Jalingo, Zing, Lau and Yorro LGAs of Taraba state.
According to Chiroma, a total of 443 premises were sealed during the visit to 83 pharmacies and 573 patent medicine stores.
He explained that the affected premises comprised of 48 pharmacies and 395 patent medicine shops for various offences, while 10 premises were issued compliance directives.
“The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, in its effort to rid the nation of substandard and falsified medicines and to improve access to best pharmaceutical practices, has carried out a 4-day rigorous enforcement exercise in Taraba state. During the exercise, we visited a total of 656 pharmacies and patent medical shops in Sardauna, Gashaka, Kurmi, Bali, Ardo Kola, Jalingo, Zing, Lau and Yorro LGAs.
“The 656 premises visited comprise 83 pharmacies and 573 patent medicine stores. During the exercise, a total of 443 premises comprised of 48 pharmacies and 395 patent medicine shops, were sealed for various offences, while 10 premises were issued compliance directives,” Chiroma explained.
The PCN Head of Enforcement also informed that the exercise was targeted at rooting out unqualified persons in pharmaceutical practice, and to stamp out the unprofessional handling of medicines by persons not recognised by the PCN Act, since the organization was poised to ensure medicines are kept in a well-regulated environment to preserve potency, ensure adherence to ethics of pharmacy practice, and that pharmacists are well grounded in their knowledge to handle medicines.
While calling on Tarabans to be mindful of where they access their medicines to avoid falling into the hands of untrained persons, report such people to the PCN State office of the in Jalingo, Chiroma also listed Some of the offences committed by the affected persons to included, operating illegally, non-renewal of premises registration, clinical practice, access to controlled medicines by unauthorised persons, over-stocking beyond the approved patent medicine list, training of apprentices and retailing by wholesale premises.
“The public can identify genuine pharmacies / PPMVs by their respective licences being conspicuously displayed in the premises.
“The hierarchical and sequential flow of drug distribution from manufacturing/importation up to the end user as stipulated by the National Drug Distribution Guidelines must be enforced if access to safe and effective medicines is to be achieved in Nigeria,” he insisted.
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