PCN seals 489 pharmacies, patent medicine shops for drug offences

Ini Billie, Uyo

The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed 489 pharmacies and patent medicine shops for drug offences in Akwa Ibom State.

Head of Enforcement, PCN, Dr Suleiman Chiroma, said the sealed shops breached the laid-down laws required for the manufacturing/importation, distribution, wholesaling and retailing of drugs and medical devices.

Speaking on Friday in Uyo during a press conference, Chiroma said in the course of the 4-day exercise, the enforcement team visited 14 local government areas and 725 medicine shops comprising 212 pharmacies and 513 patent medicine stores.

He stated that the defaulting shops were guilty of operating illegally, failing to renew premises registration, clinical practice, and access to controlled medicines by unauthorised persons.

“Out of the total number of premises visited by the enforcement team, 489 premises were sealed, which comprised 122 pharmacies and 367 patent medicine shops for various regulatory breaches, while 6 premises were issued compliance directives.

“Some of the breaches committed 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,” he stated.

Chiroma lamented that the enforcement team noticed the rampant training of apprentices by some premises in violation of the law, which promotes quackery, adding that only licensed government institutions are qualified to embark on such training.

“One of the serious misnomers and trends observed during the exercise was the uncontrolled and rampant training of apprentices by some premises, which is a flagrant violation of the PCN Act.

“The PCN seriously frown at this ignoble act, and those pharmacists or vendors who engage in this misconduct will be sanctioned appropriately.

“The PCN is calling on the public to be mindful of where they access their medicines to avoid falling into the hands of unauthorised persons and to report such persons to the Akwa-Ibom state office of the PCN in Uyo.

“The public can identify genuine pharmacies / PPMVs by their respective licences being conspicuously displayed in the premises,” he stated. *Head of Enforcement, PCN, Dr Suleiman Chiroma and other members of the team during the press conference in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.