At least 46 patent medicine stores in Asaba and its environs have been sealed by Delta State Task force over counterfeit and fake drugs, and unwholesome processed foods.
The two days enforcement exercise carried out within the Asaba and Okpanam axis was to curb the increasing number of illegal medicine shops popularly known as chemists which pose significant risks to public health.
Chairman of the task force, Mrs. Grace Ekhuemelo, said the sealed outlets were discovered to have engaged in unlicensed operations whereby some shops were found operating without the necessary authorisation; illegal training of apprentices who, upon completion, would go on to open their own unauthorised medicine stores, exacerbating the issue and the display and sale of expired medicines which posed serious health risks to consumers.
According to her, the enforcement exercise was a follow-up to a series of monitoring and inspections visits across markets, retail outlets, among others aimed at ensuring operators complied with the laws regulating their operations in the state.
Represented by secretary of the task force, Matthias Onohwo, the chairman explained, “This task taskforce has been actively working to ensure compliance among patent medicine store owners, aiming to eliminate their unwholesome practices, operating without proper authorisation and also uphold public health standard which has culminated today in the closure of numerous illegal medicine stores.”
She said a total of 63 premises were visited, of which 17 shops complied with relocation order while the remaining 46 were sealed up for failing to comply with laid down rules.
“From our surveillance efforts, there have been reports of unethical dispensing practices involving cutting and repackaging medications by splitting capsules and painkillers into smaller portions — commonly referred to as ‘mix’ which was done under the pretext of people not being able to afford the complete medicines, leading to incomplete antibiotic treatments, which significantly contribute to medicine resistance,“ the chairman disclosed.
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