This is geared at streamlining the drug distribution value chain to promote the provision of safe, effective and quality medicines distributed along with registered and currently licensed premises.
The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) says it has sealed off 247 patent medicine stores and eight unregistered pharmacies in Ondo state, a south-west state in Nigeria.
Anthonia Aruya, the Director of Inspection and Monitoring of the council stated this on Friday while addressing journalists in Akure, Ondo state capital.
Aruya stated, "The council is in Ondo state in the contribution of its activities aimed at sanitizing the system for better pharmaceutical services delivery to the good people of the state and the nation at large.
"This is geared at streamlining the drug distribution value chain to promote the provision of safe, effective and quality medicines distributed along with registered and currently licensed premises.
"At the end, a total of two hundred and fifty-five premises were sealed comprising of eight pharmacies and two hundred and forty-seven patent medicine shops. Seven premises were issued compliance directives for various offences ranging from poor handling of controlled substances, sale and dispensing of ethical/prescription drugs without the supervision of a pharmacist, unhygienic environment, poor documentation among others.
Aruya said people’s lives were at risk with the increasing number of quacks dispensing drugs, unregistered and illegal patent medicine stores scattered across Ondo state.
Pharmacies and patent medicine stores were sealed off in Odigbo (Ore); Akure South, Ifedore (Idanre), Akoko South West (Oba and Akungba); and Akoko North East (Ikare) local government areas of the state.
According to her, the council’s team discovered that many of the stores were dispensing ethical products without the supervision of any qualified pharmacists.
At the end of the monitoring exercise and enforcement, Aruya disclosed that a total of 337 stores which comprised 24 pharmacies and 313 medicine stores were checked.