From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN ) has warned that the unauthorised sale of medicines by patient medicines vendors and unregistered premises is fuelling insecurity in the country even as it sealed 311 premises in Kogi State for failure to comply with the council’s rules and regulations.
It was learnt that there has been an increase in the use of illicit drugs by youths in some parts of the country with the majority of those found to be abusing drugs resorting to violent crimes, like armed robbery and kidnapping for ransom, to sustain their addiction.
Director and Head of Enforcement Department, Stephen Esumobi while speaking with newsmen at the weekend in lokoja over the weekend said it had become necessary for PCN to step up its enforcement activities to ensure that medicines remain safe, effective and of good quality as they move from one level of the distribution chain to another until they get to consumers.
While expressing worry that some patient medicines dealers could barely read or write, Esumobi wonder how they could dispense medicines correctly.
He said PCN enforcement teams had been in Kogi since the beginning of the week as part of efforts to streamline the drug distribution system in the state. He said at the end of the exercise a total of 390 premises were visited, comprising 342 patent medicines stores and forty 48 pharmacies.
“A total of 311 premises were sealed comprising 15 pharmacies and 296 patent medicines stores. A total of two compliance directives were issued, while three patent medicine vendors were arrested for breaking PCN seals. Most of the premises were sealed for offences which include, operating without registration or renewal of premises certificates, unauthorised sale of performance enhancing drugs and medicines of abuse, poor access control to the poison cupboard, registration of premises by personnel working in the health institution within and outside the state ,stocking and sale of prescription and other ethical products by the patent medicines vendors among others.”
Esumobi advised the public to source all drug needs from registered and validly licenced pharmacies and over-the-counter medicines from registered patent medicine shops.
