Council seals 148 medicine shops

The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) on Friday sealed 148 medicine shops in Cross River for unauthorised sale of drugs.

Mr Stephen Esumobi, Deputy Director and Head of Enforcement, PCN, Abuja, made this known during a press conference in Calabar.

He said the action was taken as part of measures to ensure that only quality drugs are sold to members of the public.According to him, the patent medicine shops were also closed for operating without the supervision of a pharmacist, poor storage conditions of drugs and low education of medicine vendors, among others.

Esumobi said that the enforcement was carried out after series of reports of the activities of unregistered premises, which engage in the illegal sale of medicines in the state.

He added that some of the registered premises were selling beyond the approved list laid down by PCN. According to him, PCN is charged with the responsibility of regulating and controlling the education, training and practice of pharmacy in all ramifications as established by the PCN Act 2004.

"At the end of our one week enforcement exercise, we visited 198 drugs premises. 148 of them, comprising two pharmacies, 48 patent medicine shops and 98 unregistered premises were sealed for various offences.

"To carry out this mandate, the PCN established structures such as the Pharmaceutical Inspection Committee in all states of the federation and Abuja.

"These committees inspect and monitor premises where pharmaceutical activities are carried out in line with PCN guidelines,’’ he explained.

He warned that the Federal Government would not tolerate the indiscriminate sale of drugs without submission to regulatory control.

The director advised members of the public to purchase their medicines from licensed pharmacies and propriety medicines shops.

The official said that owners of the affected shops would have to visit the PCN office in the state for more education on drug storage and drugs mixing.

"They are also to be attached with a supervisor for all related drugs issues,'' he said.