From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Pharmacists’ Council of Nigeria (PCN) said on Sunday that no fewer than 348 illegal pharmacy premises were sealed in Edo state in last four weeks. 
The Council said the sealed premises comprises of 84 pharmacies and 264 patent medicine shops, while 22 compliance directives were issued to others for minor offences.
PCN Registrar, Elijah Mohammed, in a statement, said that PCN enforcement team achieved the success in the cause of their routine monitoring and enforcement exercise in the state.
He also said PCN’s enforcement teams across Nigeria have stepped up the tempo of its activities nationwide, in keeping pace with the determination to sanitize the pharmaceutical practice environment, thus warning people engaging in illegal pharmaceutical activities to desist from that or risk arrest and prosecution.
The PCN Registrar confirm that the leadership of the Council undertook accreditation exercise to several institutions offering pharmaceutical sciences, to ensure that they are up-to-date with their courses and don’t derail from the standard practice.
He specifically mentioned that they visited Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chukwuemeka Odumegu Ojukwu University, Anambra State; and also carried out re-accreditation exercises at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State; and Faculty of Pharmacy, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Sagamu, Ogun State, within the month of July.
The Registrar also informed that 159 pharmacy graduates who were successful at the first cycle of 2021 Foreign Pharmacist Graduate Orientation Programme (FPGOP) were inducted into the practice.
He congratulated the new inductees and urged them to abide by the rules and regulations of the pharmacy profession to avoid being punished by the Council.
He also announced that registration for the second cycle of FPGOP has commenced, stating that the second cycle has been scheduled to commence on August  and would be taking place at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State (North) and University of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State (South).
He appreciated pharmacists for their diligence and hard work towards ensuring the provision of quality pharmaceutical services for sustainable healthcare delivery in the country. He encouraged them not to relent, but remain resolute in their services to the people.