Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
The Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN), on Friday, said it had sealed off 301 drug outlets in Akure and environs in its efforts to curb abuse and misuse of controlled medicines.
The registrar of the council, Mr Elijah Mohammed, who made this disclosure at a news conference in Akure, said the outlets comprised 30 pharmacies and 271 patent medicine stores. Mohammed, represented by Mr Stephen Esumobi, said seven owners or agents of the outlets were also arrested during the joint operation by the council and law enforcement agencies.
He said their shops were sealed off for offences such as operating without supervision of pharmacists, operating without licence and sale of ethical products. Other offences committed by the pharmacies and the patent medicine stores were carrying out activities beyond the scope of licence, poor storage conditions, and unauthorised relocation of premises. “Eighteen premises were issued compliance directives for offences such as non-display of licences and poor documentation, among others. One of the objectives of the new National Drug Distribution Guidelines is to ensure that medicines remain safe, effective and of good quality, as they transit from one level of the distribution chain to another until they finally get to the patients and other end users.