‘PCN raids carried out to protect health of Nigerians’

Why the nationwide raid of patent medicine vendours?  We carry out raids in villages, town and cities to ensure that the premises and practices of pharmaceutical services being rendered to Nigerians are done in a way and manner that the health of Nigerians are not compromised.  Even the House of Representatives through their oversight functions […]

Why the nationwide raid of patent medicine vendours?

 We carry out raids in villages, town and cities to ensure that the premises and practices of pharmaceutical services being rendered to Nigerians are done in a way and manner that the health of Nigerians are not compromised.

 Even the House of Representatives through their oversight functions has seen the need to for PCN to carry out these activities.  

That is why in one of their resolutions in December, 2016, they wrote and reminded the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole and the Registrar PCN on the need to close unregistered premises where pharmaceutical drugs and services are made available to Nigerians.

 The pharmaceutical premises involve, where drugs are manufactured and sold, where drugs are made available such as, patent medicines stores, community pharmacies, whole sale and manufacturing outfits.

 How many states have you covered in this raid?

I cannot give you the actual figure that we have raided but we have visited all the geo-political zones except the north-east. Right now our council is carrying out the exercise in Edo State.

We are not carrying out this exercise to frustrate anybody or for any destructive tendencies. What we are doing is to ensure that practitioners who are involved are licensed to do what they are supposed to do, and that the premises where they are carrying out the exercise is licensed. That is to ensure that  such places are suitable for the sale and storage of drugs. 

And also, that the practice they are rendering to Nigerians should be what they are out to do, and not that they are doing more than what they are licensed to do. Are you giving injections and other sort of things?

 Are you doing what you are not licensed to do? Are you giving injections and other sort of things? So, we are looking at practitioners who are pharmacists and patent medicine vendors’ license holders and sometimes pharmacists’ technicians, both in the hospital, community pharmacy and patent medicines vendors licensed holders. 

 The efficacy or standard of the drugs lies on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). They do screening of those drugs from importation to consumption to ensure that the drugs have the right qualities.

 What is the success rate recorded in the north?

We have been to Kaduna. Initially when we got there in 2015, there was resistance and we had to use the police to carry out enforcement. Before now, there have been lots of court injunctions that have been limiting us but however, we have been able to evacuate them and the way became clear for us. 

We were in Kaduna in 2016 and this year again we have recorded lots of successes by using both the police and Civil Defense in carrying out enforcement.

 Are their penalties for defaulters?

There are penalties but they are not strong enough and that is why we are doing reviews of our laws so that more sanction can be put in place.

We want you to understand that there are two individuals in pharmaceutical landscape. 

 There are those that have the health DNA that is, professionals that have been trained to render pharmaceutical services to better the lives of Nigerians. Then, there are individuals who have the money making DNA in them and these are the people that are into the pharmaceutical landscape to make money. They are not trained as professionals but come into the landscape as traders and whatever they can lay hands upon, they would want to sell and make money. We are reaching out to move out the philosophy of their involvement in pharmaceutical landscape from money making philosophy to life saving philosophy which the health workers are trained to do. 

How many defaulters have been arrested?

We have taken some individuals to court in the south-west and in the south-east, mostly in Enugu, and we have closed over 3,000 premises. Closing them down does not mean we want to make them jobless. 

Some people go back to break the seal and that is where prosecution comes in. Those of them we took to court are those that have broken the seal. By the time we carry out enforcement from Monday and Tuesday, by Wednesday we review. They come and we let them understand why we are doing what we are doing and for those that conform, we go back and open up the place. 

 What are your major challenges in fighting this menace?

Over the years, the PCN hands have been tied by unsolicited and unwarranted court injunctions. Everybody was going to court to stop us from carrying out our duties.