Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed up 501 medicine shops and arrested two persons for breaking the seal of the council in Plateau State.
The director of enforcement of the council, Stephen Esumobi made the disclosure when he briefed journalists at the weekend in Jos, the state capital.
He said, “ A total of 701 premises were visited within Bukuru/Jos metropolis. The enforcement team of Pharmacy Council of Nigeria have been in the state from 13th to 16th May 2024 and visited premises within the state capital and environs, at the end of the exercise, a total of 701 premises were visited.
“This is made up of 167 pharmacies, 224 Patent Medicine shops and 310 illegal premises. A total of 501 premises were sealed.”
Among the premises sealed include “74 pharmacies, 117 patent medicine shops, 310 illegal medical shops, all sealed for various offenses”.
The director said the affected practitioners were clampdown upon for offenses such as, “Sale of medicines in the open drug markets, operating without registration with Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, Non-renewal of premises certificates, non-pharmacists having access and dispensing controlled medicines.”
Other offences are “Stocking and sales of medicine above the approved medicine list for Patent Medicine Vendors, Engaging in Clinical Practice, Poor documentation, poor storage facilities, stocking of ethical products without the supervision of a pharmacist among others.”
The director also hinted that 14 compliance directives were issued as the council is currently strengthening its state and zonal offices to properly position them to effectively carry out their regulatory mandate with the aim of ensuring that Nigerians access medicines that are safe, effective and of good quality at all times and in all locations.
He said PCN which is a federal government parastatal charged with the responsibility of regulating, controlling, educating, training and practice of pharmacy in line with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria establishment Act 2022 will stop at nothing in sanitizing the pharmacy industry.