Pharmaceutical Council seals 360 premises in Sokoto
The Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria has sealed 360 premises comprising 352 Patent Medicine Stores and eight unregistered Pharmacies in Sokoto state while one person was arrested and being prosecuted. It said the premises were sealed for various offenses such as operating without registration with the council, dispensing ethical products without the supervision of a pharmacist, and […]
The Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria has sealed 360 premises comprising 352 Patent Medicine Stores and eight unregistered Pharmacies in Sokoto state while one person was arrested and being prosecuted.
It said the premises were sealed for various offenses such as operating without registration with the council, dispensing ethical products without the supervision of a pharmacist, and poor sanitary conditions, among others.
Director, Inspection and Monitoring, PCN, MRS Anthonia Aruya who disclosed this
Friday in Sokoto,said the PCN enforcement team was in the state during which it visited all local government areas within Sokoto covering both towns and villages.
"At the end of the enforcement exercise, a total of 513 premises comprising 26 pharmacies and 487 patent medicine shops were visited, " she stated.
She said the team observed that in Sokoto, many Pharmaceutical premises commenced operations without fulfilling the minimum requirements for registration while others failed to renew their licenses to operate such premises or shops.
" Some of these premises stored products in environments where the quality, safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products cannot be guaranteed thus exposing the public to serious danger, " she noted.
The Director added:" Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria cannot guarantee that drugs sold in unregistered outlets are of the same integrity as specified by the manufacturers since they have not been submitted to regulation that ensures maintenance of appropriate standards for handling such products. "
She explained that the enforcement exercise in Sokoto was part of efforts by PCN to reverse the ugly trend and improve on the quality of pharmaceutical services delivery to the people of the state.
While appreciating the efforts the state government through the instrumentality of the state taskforce, she however pointed out that more work still needed to be done as some facilities were found to have codeine containing preparations and other controlled substances handled by persons who do not have the licensure to do so further endangering the public.
She advised members of the public to purchase their medicines from licensed pharmacies and simple household remedies from licensed Patent and Project Medicines shops.
Aruya also urged them to look out for The Pharmacists RX sign and license, or the Patent Medicine vendors’ triangular sign with their license.