Unethical Practice: PCN Seals 618 Pharmacies, Patent Medicine Stores in Rivers, Bayelsa 

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt 

The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) said it sealed 618 pharmacies, patent medicine shops and illegal shops in different locations in Rivers and Bayelsa states.

Head of Enforcement PCN, Dr. Suleiman Chiroma, who revealed this yesterday during a briefing with journalists in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, said 178 pharmacies, 123 patent medicine shops and 317 illegal shops were sealed for various offences while nine premises were issued compliance directives.

The PCN is established by Establishment Act No 31 of 2022 and charged with the responsibility of regulating and controlling the education, training and practice of pharmacy in all its aspects and ramifications.

The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria has the mandate among others to enforce the National Drug Distribution Guidelines which is a prerequisite for access to safe and qualitative medicines in Nigeria.

The PCN in her effort to achieve her mandate and to rid the nation of substandard and falsified medicines has been carrying out an enforcement exercise concurrently in Rivers and Bayelsa states since the beginning of the week.

The enforcement exercise is targeted at pharmaceutical core areas of practice, premises and personnel, to ensure adherence to minimum standards for quality assurance as enshrined in the PCN Establishment Act 2022 and relevant Regulations and Guidelines.

Speaking at the briefing, Chiroma explained that medicines are poisons and must be regulated, hence the need for every person involved in handling medicine to be appropriately trained.

He said all premises dispensing, selling, storing, stocking, retailing, wholesaling, manufacturing, importation, exportation of medicines must be inspected, approved, licensed and monitored to ensure public safety.

According to Chiroma, “Pertinent areas of the standards enforced include ethics of the profession, maintenance of well-regulated environment to preserve quality and potency of medicines and the levels of expertise of personnel engaged in the practice respectively.”

He added “During the course of the week-long rigorous enforcement exercise in Rivers State, the following LGAs were visited; Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre and Etche while in Bayelsa state, Yenagoa and Southern Ijaw were also visited. 

“A total number of 867 premises were visited in both Rivers and Bayelsa states comprising 344 pharmacies and 523 patent medicine stores. We arrested five persons for breaking the PCN seal.

“A total number of 618 premises were sealed in both states which comprised 178 pharmacies and 123 patent medicine shops and 317 illegal shops for various offences while nine premises were issued compliance directives.”

Chiroma further stated the “Offences committed included operating illegal premises/shops, non-renewal of premises registration, carrying out clinical practice, access to controlled medicines by unauthorised persons, over-stocking beyond the approved Patent Medicine List, training of apprentices and retailing by wholesale premises.”

He expressed worries that during the exercise in Rivers, it was observed that there was unfettered access to controlled medicines in poison cupboards by non-pharmacists’ staff in pharmacies. 

“This practice is highly unethical and unacceptable and as such allows medicines to get into the hands of unauthorised persons for abuse which poses a security risk to the general public.”

Also observed was that “many premises owners just made payments without completing the registration process and claimed to be registered. However, there is the need for every pharmacist/vendor to complete the registration process.”

The Council however, called on the people of Bayelsa and Rivers states to be mindful of where they access their medicines to avoid falling into the hands of untrained persons and to report such persons to the PCN offices in their respective states.