About 358 pharmacies and patent medicine shops within the Federal Capital Territory have been sealed by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, its Registrar, Ibrahim Ahmed, has said. According to the registrar, 90 pharmacies and 268 patent medicine shops were sealed out of a total of 584 premises visited during the enforcement exercise from Monday to Thursday.

Ahmed disclosed this during a press conference held on Friday in Abuja. He said, “At the end of the current enforcement exercise in FCT, a total of 584 premises were visited. This comprises 185 pharmacies and 399 premises made up of 90 pharmacies and 268 patent medicine shops were sealed for various offenses, some of which include operating without registration with PCN, failure to renew premises license.”

Ahmed said some of the premises were dispensing ethical products without the supervision of a pharmacist, and some were in poor sanitary conditions. 

He added that five pharmacies and patent medicine shops were issued compliance directives.

“Four patent medicine vendors were arrested. Three of them were arrested for breaking PCN seals and one for displaying fake patent medicines vendor licence in his shop,” he said

He further warned that a large percentage of open drug markets are not fit for human consumption due to poor handling and constitute a threat to public health.

Ahmed said the Abuja Zonal Office of the PCN has been directed to give necessary guidance to all those wishing to engage in the pharmaceutical business within the FCT.

Source: The Punch