Agaju Madugba, Katsina
The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed a total of 505 patent medicine outlets including nine pharmacy shops in Katsina State, over what it described as improper handling of controlled substances, illegal dispensing of prescription drugs and poor documentation, among other offences.
According to the PCN, the move was in fulfillment of its mandate of ensuring that the minimum standards of practice are maintained by all players in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector.
Briefing reporters on its week-long enforcement activities in Katsina on Friday, the PCN Director, Inspection and Monitoring, Mrs Anthonia Aruya, said that the enforcement team visited a total of 668 medicine shops in various parts of the state within the period during which it sanctioned the outlets that failed to meet the prescribed guidelines.
According to her, “the public is advised to source its medicine needs from registered pharmacy outlets and patent medicine shops, for over-the-counter medicines as drugs sourced from unregistered outlets cannot be guaranteed to be genuine.
“We observed that in Katsina State, many people go into the sale of medicines without following the due process while some others do not have the requisite knowledge or skills to handle medicines in their premises.
“It is also disheartening that some cannot communicate in plain English yet they operate these illegal shops at will, to the detriment of the unsuspecting public.”