The Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) has closed down 471 pharmaceutical and patent medication shops for breaching pharmaceutical follow laws in components of Edo State.
Registrar of PCN, Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, confirmed the closure after the Council’s one-week operation in Edo South Senatorial District.
Based on him, the operations have been carried out in Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha, Ovia North-East, Egor, and Uhunmwonde native authorities areas in Edo South.
Addressing newsmen throughout a press convention in Benin on Friday to mark this 12 months’s World Pharmacists Day, Ahmed, represented by the Head of Enforcement PCN, Dr. Suleiman Chiroma, stated the PCN would proceed to entrench its cardinal deal with Apply, Premises, and Personnel in pharmaceutical follow within the nation.
He stated, “A complete of 743 premises, comprising 196 pharmacies and 547 patent medication shops, have been inspected. One particular person was arrested for obstructing PCN inspectors within the discharge of their duties.
“Consequently, a complete of 471 premises have been sealed for contravening related laws, together with 77 pharmacies, 174 patent medication shops, and 220 unlicensed outlets. Moreover, 4 premises have been served with compliance directives, necessitating corrective actions to deal with recognized non-compliances.”
He stated that through the enforcement train, numerous regulatory breaches—together with operation of unlicensed premises, non-compliance with premises registration renewal necessities, unauthorised medical follow, unauthorised entry to managed substances, stockholding greater than authorised limits as stipulated within the Patent Drugs Listing, coaching of apprentices, and wholesalers indulging in retail operations in contravention of their licensure phrases—have been seen.
He stated, “The enforcement of the Nationwide Drug Distribution Pointers is a statutory duty entrusted to the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, geared toward guaranteeing the supply of protected and efficacious medicines nationwide.
“The pharmaceutical sector in Nigeria has been bedevilled by quite a few challenges, together with chaotic drug distribution networks, proliferation of unlicensed and unlawful pharmaceutical premises, and unauthorised dealing with of medicinal merchandise, thereby necessitating stringent regulatory measures.
“Key areas of emphasis embody guaranteeing compliance with established codes of conduct {and professional} requirements, the upkeep of managed environments to safeguard the standard and efficiency of medicinal merchandise, and assessing the competency ranges of personnel concerned in pharmaceutical follow to make sure they meet the required requirements.
“The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) advises the individuals in Edo State and past to train warning when sourcing medicines, guaranteeing they patronise licensed and certified premises to keep away from potential well being dangers.”
