The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed 387 pharmacies and patent medicine stores in Benue State over unethical practices and lack of compliance. Addressing newsmen in Makurdi yesterday, PCN’s Director, Inspection and Monitoring,, Mrs.. Anthonia Aruya, gave a breakdown of the sealed facilities to include 44 pharmacies and 343 patent medicine shops. She stated further that 16 premises comprising three pharmacies and 13 patent and proprietary medicine vendors shops were issued compliance directives for various offenses. Ayuwa said their offenses ranged from poor handling of controlled substances, sale and dispensing of ethical/ prescription drugs without the supervision of a pharmacist, unhygienic environment and poor documentation among others. She explained further that the Council was in Benue State in continuation of its activities aimed at sanitising the system for better pharmaceutical service delivery to the good people of the state and the nation at large.
The Director disclosed that the enforcement exercise is geared towards streamlining the drug distribution value chain to promote the provision of safe, effective and quality medicines distributed along registered and currently licensed premises. “These practice areas include manufacturing, distribution, wholesale, retail, hospital, pharmacies and the patent and proprietary medicines vendors shops,” Ayuwa stated. She warned that any premises found selling above their scope of operation such as sale and dispensing of ethical products without the presence of superintendent pharmacists or handling of controlled medicines by non-pharmacist is operating in violation of the law. The Council advised the general public to always ask for the registration status of facilities where they access their medicines by requesting for the current lance des issued by the PCN from any pharmaceutical outlet to safeguard themselves from patronizing quacks
