Segun Awofadeji
The Pharmacist Council of Nigeria (PCN)has sealed 469 pharmacies and patent medicines shops in 18 out of the 20 local government areas of Bauchi State for non-compliance and failure to update their documents.
The PCN Director and Head of Enforcement Department, Mr. Stephen Esumobi, who gave the figure during a press conference held at the Council’s North East Zonal office, in Bauchi yesterday said the move was part of the Council’s current national enforcement exercise in conformity with its responsibility of regulating the education, training and practice of pharmacy as enshrined in the PCN’s Act 2004.
He explained that out of the 598 patent medicines shops (PMS) and pharmacies visited 469 were found guilty of violating the rules in the 18 local government areas.
The PCN director of enforcement said many products in the erring premises were no longer fit for human consumption due to poor handling and exposure to adverse environmental factors to include high temperature, humidity and direct sunlight, all of which compromises the quality, safety, and efficacy.
Esumobi recalled that the enforcement team visited some premises across some LGAs in the state in 2019 and found that many of them were operating without registration with the PCN while the registered ones failed to renew their certificates.
He noted that the PCN unsealed the affected premises after most of them fulfilled conditions for registration and also reactivated its sensitization mechanism on Patent Medicine Vendors and other medicine dealers on the need to ensure compliance with regulations guiding the practice with a view to prevent public health.
On PMS operators engaging in clinical practice such as administering injection, the Director of Enforcement said such act poses danger to public health and threatened to sanction any PMS found doing so.
Esumobi expressed PCN’s appreciation to the State Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, DSS and the media for their continuous support and collaboration.
