Council seals 339 medicine stores over alleged misconducts, others 

The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed 339 illegal premises that included medicine shops and pharmacy outlets over non-adherence to the ethics of the profession.

The Registrar of the Council, Elijah Mohammed, who disclosed this in Abuja recently, explained that premises were sealed for various offfences that include operation without registration with the PCN, failure to renew operational license, dispensing ethical products without the supervision of a pharmacist, poor storage and sanitary condition.

Mohammed insisted that the Council is determined to ensure compliance to the new national drug distribution guidelines, which is to ensure that medicines remain safe, effective and good quality as they transit from level of distribution chain to another until they finally get to the patients and other end users.

He explained that one of the identified weaknesses in the distribution chain is the proliferation of illegal medicine stores that do not have proper storage facilities that could lead to the deterioration of medicines thus making them unsuitable for human consumption.

PCN Scribe added: “These illegal outlets do not have trained personnel to handle the medicines in their premises. This has contributed immensely to irrational dispensing of medicines resulting in treatment failures and untoward effects on patients and other unsuspecting members of the public who patronize them. Also, the activities of these illegal outlets tend to encourage the abuse and misuse of controlled medicines with the attendant negative social and security implications.”

He hinted that PCN has stepped up enforcement and activities across the country in order to stem the worrisome development.

He said 496 premises were inspected in Abuja suburbs such as Gwagwa, Kuje, Deidei, Kagini, Bwari, Ushafa, Abaji, Durumi, Mpape, Kabusa and Lugbe.

Mohammed urged Nigerians to purchase their drugs from their medicines from licensed Pharmacies and simple household remedies from licensed patent and propriety medicines shops.