In a crackdown on illegal medicine sales, the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) sealed off at least 666 medicine shops in Kaduna State for non-compliance with National Drug Distribution Guidelines.
The week-long enforcement operation targeted unregistered and unsupervised medicine sales in open drug markets and various locations across the state.
The PCN’s goal is to ensure safe and effective medicine distribution, protect public health, and prevent the sale of harmful substances. At a press conference, PCN Director of Enforcement, Pharm.
Stephen Esumobi, revealed that the affected premises comprised 47 pharmacies, 313 patent medicine shops, and 306 illegal medicine shops.
During the exercise, the PCN team inspected 895 premises, issuing 9 compliance directives to owners of illegally operating shops.
He said, “At the end of the enforcement exercise which began early this week, a total of eight hundred and ninety-five (895) premises were visited. This is made up of seventy-five (75) pharmacies, five hundred and fourteen (514) Patent medicine shops, and three hundred and six (306) illegal premises.
“A total of six hundred and sixty-six (666) premises were sealed. The premises sealed include forty-seven (47) pharmacies, three hundred and thirteen (313) Patent medicine shops, and three hundred and six (306) illegal medicine shops.
“The PC office in Kaduna will render all necessary assistance to owners of sealed shops who are willing to comply with regulations.”
Pharm. Stephen Esumobi explained that the sealed medicine shops were guilty of various offenses, including selling medicines in open drug markets, operating without registration, inadequate documentation, substandard storage facilities, and dispensing ethical products without a pharmacist’s supervision.
He emphasized that the PCN will not condone the sale of medicines in unregistered locations, including open drug markets, and will persist in enforcing the National Drug Distribution Guidelines to safeguard public health and prevent the sale of harmful substances.
Esumobi pointed out that many medicine shops in open drug markets and other locations in Kaduna State were operating illegally without registration, posing a significant risk to public health due to poor storage conditions that deviate from manufacturers’ guidelines.
“The implication of this is that most of the medicines sold in these locations may no longer be fit for human consumption due to degradation of the active ingredients,” he highlighted.
Esumobi issued a stern warning that the PCN would take additional measures against non-compliant medicine dealers, but also offered support to owners of sealed shops who were willing to rectify their practices and adhere to regulatory requirements.
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