By Asma’u Ahmad
The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed 283 illegal pharmacies and patent medicine shops in Zamfara for failing to meet its pharmaceutical regulations and standards.
Director of Inspection and Monitoring of the council, Mrs Anthonia Aruya, made the disclosure at a press conference in Gusau on Friday.
Newsmen report that the PCN enforcement team was in the state as part its efforts to carry out its responsibilities of ensuring effective monitoring and inspection of medical facilities in the country.
Mrs Aruya said that out of the 329 pharmacies and patent medicine shops visited by the council across the state, only 46 met the standard requirements while the remaining 283 were sealed for various offences. She said that out of the 283 sealed premises, four were pharmacies while 279 were patent medical stores.
According to her, most of the pharmacies and patent medical stores in the state are operating without registration with the PCN.
Other offences committed by the defaulters include refusal to renew their licenses, dispensing ethical products without the supervision of pharmacists and poor sanitary conditions.
“Some of the patent medical store owners do not have requisite knowledge or skills to handle ethical drugs in their facilities. The PCN cannot guarantee those drugs sold in unregistered outlets, since they did not register with the council.
“This enforcement is part of the efforts by PCN to reverse this ugly trend and improve on the quality of pharmaceutical services delivery to the public,” she said.
The director called on members of the public to always purchase medicines from licensed patent medical stores and pharmacies.
“I am also calling on those intending to start pharmaceutical businesses to get in touch with the PCN offices for proper guidance,” she said. Aruya commended security agencies and the media for their support and cooperation during the exercise.
