About 381 pharmacies and patent shops in Akwa Ibom State have been sealed by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria due to a variety of violations.
The majority of the affected shops were sealed, according to Pharm Stephen Esumobi, Director and Head of Enforcement Department, who made this disclosure while briefing reporters in Uyo on Friday, for operating without registration or renewal of premises certificates, illegal sales of medications for abuse, and lax access control to the poison cabinet.
Other offenses, according to him, include inadequate temperature control and storage facilities, as well as the stocking and marketing of prescription drugs and other morally acceptable goods by patent medicine vendors.
According to him, the enforcement team visited 727 locations, including 559 patent medicine shops and 168 pharmacies, as part of the council’s ongoing effort to streamline the drug distribution system.
Esumobi said, “The PCN enforcement team has been in Akwa Ibom State since the beginning of the week in continuation of the current drive by the council to streamline the drug distribution system in the country.”
“The team visited the following local government areas: Uyo and its environs, Ikono, Abak, Itu, Eket, Ibesikpo/Asutan, Ikot Ekpene, and Oron. At the end of the exercise, At the end of the exercise, a total of 727 premises were visited. This comprises 559 pharmacies and 168 pharmacies.
“A total of 381 premises were sealed, comprising 52 pharmacies and 329 patent medicine stores.” “A total of 16 compliance directives were issued,” he said.
“All registered premises are expected to display their current premises certificates or evidence of registration conspicuously within the premises to enable members of the public to know the status of the premises where they buy their medicine.”
“Premises certificates shall be renewed on or before January 31st of every year, and it is an offence for any premises to operate without registration or renewal of their premises certificates.”
“In enforcing the PCN laws, the primary areas of focus of the PCN enforcement team are premises, personnel, and practice.” “It is an offence for any stakeholder to operate a pharmaceutical business in a location that has not been approved by PCN,” he added.