Task force seals illegal 2 patent medicine shops

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the joint task force is made up of representatives of Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, NAFDAC, NDLEA as well as officials of Ondo State Task Force on Fake and Substandard Drugs.

Dr Taye Oni, the Permanent Secretary in the Ondo State Ministry of Health, told newsmen that one of the sealed shops was selling substandard and fake drugs as well as those without registration number.

Oni also said the house where the shop was located was not conducive for habitation nor for drug-related activity.

According to Oni, certain drugs such as Fortwin, Swinol and Postinor, which were restricted in usage and subjected to prescription, were found in the shop.

“Some of the drugs found here are meant to be put inside the refrigerator before being given to patients and some have been banned for years,” he said.

The permanent secretary, who said that the shop was a criminal den, vowed that the state government would not allow such heinous acts to continue.

Also speaking, Mr Wole Ojo, the state Coordinator of NAFDAC, said that the shop owners would be prosecuted according to the law.

Ojo, who expressed delight at the seizures, said some of the drugs were narcotics and not meant for patent medicine shops.

Mr Gbenga Lasekan, the Chairman of Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria in the state, said that the council had given drug sellers a list of drugs meant to be sold.

Lasekan expressed worry that one of the shops was close to the State Specialist Hospital in Akure.

NAN reports that the two patent shops locked were Deals and Dolls Medicine Store and Tessy Patent Medicine Shop.