378 Pharmacies, Others In Osun Sealed Off By Pharmacists Council

Source For Drugs From Registered Pharmacy – PCN

Three Hundred and eight medicine stores, twenty pharmacies in Osun State has been reported sealed off by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria for failing to abide by the rules of the council for persons and premises involved in drug distribution.

Mrs. Antonia Aruya, the director, inspection and monitoring, PCN, during a press conference revealed this in Osogbo on Friday after carrying out enforcement exercise that lasted a whole week.

She took the opportuinty to lament the high level of illiterate patent medicine vendors, who she believes does not know the names of the drugs they dispense to their customers, less alone have the full knowledge of the drugs.

Aruya stated that drugs should nor be left to ignorant persons, as improper handling of drugs, is quite dangerous to the health of the people.

She stated that it was required for all pharmaceutical facilities to be registered with the PCN and to ensure continuous license of same to legally start drug distribution and dispensing.

She said, “As at today, the council had visited 27 states across the nation and observations from the field in Osun State revealed that many people go into sales of medicines without following due process. Others do not have the requisite knowledge or skills to handle medicines in their premises or are operating beyond their approved scope.

“It is also quite disheartening that some cannot communicate in English and they operate these illegal shops at will to the detriment of the unsuspecting members of the public. The implication of these actions exposes the general public to a great danger. This is the second visit by the PCN to Osun State following their foot-dragging attitude to submit to regulation.

“We visited various parts of Osun State since Monday and at the end of the exercise, a total of 501 premises comprising of pharmacy and PPMVL were visited. Three hundred and seventy-eight premises were sealed, comprising 20 pharmacies and 358 PPMVS.

Nine premises were given compliance directive for various offences ranging from improper handling of controlled substances, unhygienic environment and poor documentation, dispensing ethical/prescription drugs without the presence of pharmacist.”

She took time to advise the members of the public to always source drugs from registered pharmacy outlets to avoid buying drugs that had been rendered ineffectual due to poor handling of same by unlicensed medicine vendors.

She stated that the PCN had already put in place minimum standards of practice to ensure that the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines standards were maintained down the distribution value chain.