BEVERLY HILLS, May 14, (THEWILL) – The Pharmacists Council Of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed 424 premises, comprising 99 pharmacies and 325 patent medicine shops, during an enforcement exercise in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
PCN Registrar, Pharm. Elijah Mohammed, who disclosed this during a Press Briefing in Abuja, said the pharmacies and shops were sealed for various offences.
Some of the offences, according to him, included operating without PCN registration, failure to renew premises licence, dispensing ethical products without the supervision of a Pharmacist, poor storage and sanitary conditions, among others.
The Registrar, who was represented by the PCN Director of Enforcement, Pharm. Stephen Esumobi, added that eight pharmacies and patent medicine shops were issued compliance directives.
“At the end of the enforcement exercise, a total of 644 premises comprising 216 pharmacies and 428 patent medicine shops were visited. A total of 424 premises made up of 99 pharmacies and 325 patent medicine shops were sealed for various offences,” he said.
Mohammed, however, said the FCT state office of the PCN was doing all in its power to assist owners of premises who are ready to comply with regulations.
“The facilities that fulfil conditions for registration as patent medicine shops will be registered and their owners will be trained on how to handle simple household medicines at the PCN orientation programme. Subsequently, they will undergo continuous education programmes every two years,” he said.
The council advised Nigerians to purchase their medicines from licensed pharmacies and simple household remedies from licensed patent and proprietary medicine vendors’ shops.
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