Chima Azubuike
No fewer than 440 premises and patent medicine stores were sealed across Gombe state by Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN).
Confirming the development, on Thursday to newsmen in Gombe, Pharm. Elijah Mohammed, registrar of the body said this move is part of it intervention to sanitise the drug distribution chain in the country.
Mohammed, who was represented by the director of enforcement Pharm. Stephen Esumobi said the aim of the enforcement exercise is to ensure that all premises where medicines are sold are registered, having fulfilled conditions with respect to location, storage facilities, environment, documentation and Personnel.
According to him, “At the end of the enforcement exercise a total of six hundred and eighteen (618) premises comprising forty five(45) pharmacies and five hundred and seventy three (573) patent medicine shops were visited.
“A total of four hundred and forty (440) premises made up of eight (8) pharmacies and four hundred and thirty two (432) patent medicine shops were sealed for various offences, some of which include operating without registration with Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, failure to renew premises license, dispensing ethical products without the supervision of a pharmacist, poor storage and sanitary conditions among others while twenty five (25) pharmacies and patent medicine shops were issued compliance directives.”
While urging members of the public to purchase their medicines from licensed pharmacies and simple household remedies from licensed patent and propriety medicines vendors, he added that “some medicines that are photosensitive are exposed to direct sunlight. These conditions cause degradation of medicines thus making many of them unsuitable for consumption,” he said.
