The Director, PCN Enforcement Department, Stephen Esumobi, disclosed this at a press conference in Jos on Friday at the end of their one-week enforcement exercise in the state.
Esumobi said “The national enforcement team of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria has been in Plateau state since the beginning of the week as part of its efforts responsibility of regulating and controlling the education, training and practice of pharmacy in all its ramifications and at the end of the enforcement exercise, a total of 641 premises comprising 208 pharmacies and 433 patent medicine shops were visited
“A total of 434 premises made up of 115 pharmacies and 319 patent medicine shops were sealed for various offences some of which include operating without registration with the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, failure to renew premises licences, dispensing ethical products including substances of abuse without the supervision of a pharmacist, poor storage and sanitary conditions, carrying out activities beyond the scope of their license among others while two vendors were arrested for breaking PCN seals ”
The Director said that those arrested will be prosecuted in line with extant laws.
He advised members of the public to always purchase their medicines from licensed pharmacies and simple household remedies from licenced patent medicine shops pointing out that uncontrolled access to substances of abuse has contributed in no small way to the security challenges across the country.
“Our observation from the field indicates that many wholesale pharmacies and patent medicines shops are not licensed by PCN and have been operating illegally. The pharmacies under this category of premises do not have pharmacists to supervise pharmaceutical operations and many of them have a large stock of ethical products including substances of abuse.
“Similarly, a large number of patent medicine vendors are not registered by PCN and operate in breach of our regulations as it affects the storage of medicine and scope of operations.
“The primary goal of these illegal premises is profit without regard for the safety of the public who patronize them. They have also become channels for the illegal distribution and sale of substances of abuse to members of the public including those with criminal intentions. Therefore, we will continue to step up the enforcement in line with the regulations for the safety of all Nigerians” The PCN official added.
