PCN seals off 231 illegal medicine stores in Nasarawa

The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed off 231 illegal medicine stores in Nasarawa State. The Director, Enforcement of PCN, Stephen Esumobi, told newsmen in Lafia last Friday that the patent medicine stores were sealed off for failing to comply with the council’s operational guidelines. “During a field operation recently, eight compliance directives were […]

The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed off 231 illegal medicine stores in Nasarawa State.

The Director, Enforcement of PCN, Stephen Esumobi, told newsmen in Lafia last Friday that the patent medicine stores were sealed off for failing to comply with the council’s operational guidelines.

“During a field operation recently, eight compliance directives were issued for various offences such as poor sanitary conditions, poor documentation and non-display of premises and pharmacists annual licences.”

“Few people were found to be unable to communicate in English, a situation that could result in a plethora of treatment misadventures with grave public health implications,” he said.

Esumobi said at the end of the exercise, 498 premises were visited comprising 389 patent and proprietary medicine vendors’ shops and 109 pharmacies across the state.

The PCN official said the operation was the first phase of activities of the council to streamline drug distribution system and improve the level of pharmaceutical services delivery to the people of the state.

He warned that further action would follow in due course since the PCN was committed to the implementation of the national drugs distribution guidelines.

“The public is hereby advised to source its drug needs from registered and currently licensed pharmacies and over-the-counter medicines from registered shops, as drugs sold in unregistered shops or vendors cannot be guaranteed to be genuine,” he added.