99 pharmacies, 325 patent medicine shops sealed over misconduct

The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), yesterday announced that it has sealed a total of 424 medicine shops in Abuja.

This followed tour of some parts of the Federal Capital Territory by the Pharmaceutical Inspection Committees (PICs).

The committee alongside that of Patent and Propriety Medicines Vendors Licence (PPMVL) were set up by PCN to monitor the activities of medicine shops with the aim of ensuring that they operate within the law.

At the end of one-week enforcement exercise in Abuja, it stated that a total of 644 premises comprising 216 pharmacies and 428 patent medicine shops were visited out of which 424 premises comprising 99 pharmacies and 325 patent medicine shops were sealed for various offences.

The Registrar of the body, Pharmacist Elijah Mohammed, who disclosed this yesterday listed some of the offences to include poor storage and sanitary conditions, dispensing of ethical products without the supervision of pharmacist as well as failure to renew premises license.

According to Mohammed, who was represented at the occasion by the Director of Enforcement, PCN, Stephen Esumobi, the shops will remain sealed until offenders comply with the rules.

The Registrar however explained that the intent of the tax force was not to kick medicine vendors or pharmacist out of job but to ensure that the society is sanitised of substandard drugs and substances.

He linked the current security challenges confronting the country partly to the use of substances.

He said, “the PCN enforcement team has been in FCT since the beginning of this week. The aim of the enforcement exercise is to ensure that all premises where medicines are sold fulfil conditions with respect to locations, storage facilities, environment, documentation and personnel. ”

He expressed worries that so many communities are yet to be visited but assured that the Council will do everything within its power to ensure that practitioners adhere to professional ethics.