The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has closed 666 illegal medicine shops in Kaduna State for breaching regulations and operating without proper registration.
This action is part of an enforcement exercise targeting unregistered drug markets and locations where medicines are sold without supervision, in violation of National Drug Distribution Guidelines.
The PCN Director of Enforcement, Pharm. Stephen Esumobi, announced that the exercise involved visiting 895 premises, including 75 pharmacies, 514 patent medicine shops, and 306 illegal shops.
A total of 666 premises were sealed, consisting of 47 pharmacies, 313 patent medicine shops, and 306 illegal medicine shops.
“At the end of the enforcement exercise which began early this week, a total of eight hundred and ninety-five (895) premises were visited. This is made up of seventy-five (75) pharmacies, five hundred and fourteen (514) Patent medicine shops, and three hundred and six (306) illegal premises.
“A total of six hundred and sixty-six (666) premises were sealed. The premises sealed include forty-seven (47) pharmacies, three hundred and thirteen (313) Patent medicine shops, and three hundred and six (306) illegal medicine shops.
“The PC office in Kaduna will render all necessary assistance to owners of sealed shops who are willing to comply with regulations,” he said.
Esumobi highlighted that unregistered drug sellers pose a risk to public health, as the medicines sold may be improperly stored, making them unsafe for human use. He stressed that the PCN would continue to enforce drug distribution laws to protect public health and prevent the sale of degraded or harmful substances.
The PCN offered assistance to compliant shop owners seeking to rectify their status, and reiterated that the council would not tolerate the sale of medicines in unapproved or open markets.
“The PCN will not tolerate the sale of medicines in open drug markets and other unregistered locations.
“We will continue to enforce the National Drug Distribution Guidelines to protect public health and prevent the sale of harmful substances.”
“The medicine shops in open drug markets and some other locations across the Kaduna state were not registered by the council and are operating illegally.
“The development, he argued, posed a great danger to public health because storage conditions of medicines in such premises were at variance with manufacturers’ recommendations.
“The implication of this is that most of the medicines sold in these locations may no longer be fit for human consumption due to degradation of the active ingredients,” he said.