From Ahmad SAKA, Bauchi
The Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria has sealed 571 pharmaceutical and patent medicine stores in Bauchi State for various offences and breach of laws and regulations.
Addressing a press conference in Bauchi over the issue, Head of Enforcement Department at the National Headquarters, Pharm. Stephen Esumobi , said Illegal medicine dealers were found to be engaged in the sale of large quantities of substances of abuse to members of the public especially within the state capital thus aggravating the social and security challenges emanating from the illicit use of such medicines.
He saiid that some patent medicine stores within Bauchi metropolis were found to be stocking large quantities of used needles and syringes which are suspected to be re-used or sold to other medicine dealers operating in the rural areas.
The Council observed during the enforcement exercise that sealed premises did not take steps to improve their storage facilities.
Other offences committed by owners of pharmaceutical premises include operating without registration and non-renewal of premises certificates, poor documentation, patent medicine vendors stocking medicines outside the approved drug list and carrying out clinical services, wholesalers engaging in retail, pharmacies operating without a superintendent pharmacist.
Esumobi gave a breakdown of premises that were sealed in Bauchi as follows: thirty seven (37) pharmacies, one hundred and forty four (144) Patent medicine shops and three hundred and ninety (390) illegal medicine shops.
“In 2022 the PCN enforcement team visited Bauchi state and some medicine outlets were sealed for operating in breach of our laws and regulations. The Council took steps to correct anomalies observed in those premises”.
He revealed that PCN staff met with owners of such premises and most of them gave assurance that they will comply with our laws and regulations.
The PCN through our state and zonal offices in Bauchi took steps to guide owners of medicine shops on steps they needed to take to operate in line with the law.“
The Head of Enforcement explained that for medicines to deliver desired therapeutic outcomes, it is important that they remain safe, effective and of good quality throughout their shelf life, and one of the identified factors that affect stability and therapeutic benefits of medicines is good storage facilities with appropriate temperature and humidity control.
He said “Exposure of medicines to unfavorable environmental factors leads to product instability and degradation. Poor quality medicines have been shown in several studies to be responsible for a large percentage of cases of treatment failures and avoidable deaths.
At the end of the exercise a total of seven hundred and sixty two (762) premises were visited. This is made up of eighty eight (88) pharmacies, two hundred and eighty four (284) Patent Medicine Shops and three hundred and ninety (390) Illegal premises.“
Pharmacist Stephen Esumobi therefore advised the public to source all drug needs from registered and currently licensed pharmacies and over-the-counter medicines from registered patent medicine shops as drugs sold in unregistered outlets cannot be guaranteed to be safe for consumption.
The director also said the state and Zonal offices of the PCN have been directed to continue to monitor all pharmaceutical premises within the state to ensure that they operate in line with our laws and regulations.
“The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) is the Federal Government Parastatal charged with the responsibility of regulating and controlling the education, training and practice of pharmacy in all its aspects and ramifications in line with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria Establishment Act 2022,“ Pharmacist Stephen Esumobi concluded
