By Samuel Ogenyi, Uyo
The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, PCN, has sealed 397 patent medicine shops and 42 pharmacies in Akwa Ibom for operating without registration, failure to renew premises license and other offences in the last one week.
It also inspected 600 premises including 118 pharmacies and 482 patent medicine shops in its latest round of enforcement exercise carried out in 13 local councils of the state.
PCN Registrar, Mr Elijah Mohammed told a press conference in Uyo yesterday that premises sealed also were dispensing ethical products without the supervision of a pharmacist, were selling medicine outside the approved list, had poor storage and sanitary conditions amongst others.
Mohammed who was represented by Mr Stephen Esumobi, PCN Director of Enforcement, said the exercise which was carried out by the National Enforcement Team was meant to support regular and existing enforcements inorder to ensure that standards are maintained.
“One of the identified weaknesses in the drug distribution chain is the proliferation of illegal medicine shops which has become worse since the lockdown necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Many of these premises still do not have appriopriate storage facilities thereby exposing medicines to harsh environmental factors like high temperature and humidity.
“Some other medicines that are photosensitive are also exposed to direct sunlight. These conditions cause degradation of medicines thus making many of them harmful.
” Furthermore, these illegal outlets do not have Pharmacists to handle ethical medicines in their premises. This has contributed immensely to irrational dispensing of medicines resulting in treatment failures and untoward effects on patients and other unsuspecting members of the public who patronize them.” Mohammed explained.
Those reasons and more, the Registrar said, were why PCN stepped up enforcement while maintaining that the exercise was not to punish medicine dealers but to correct and help them practice according to laid down standards.
He regretted that Uyo which used to be among one of the most compliant areas in Nigeria has witnessed in increase in unsafe pharmaceutical practises attributing this to rise in new surburbs around the Capital City.
Mohammed further stated that those who would break their seals would be arrested and prosecuted while the Council has developed an accounting system that would discourage its staff from perpetuating fraud.
