No fewer than 562 pharmacies and patent medicine shops have been sealed in Zamfara state by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) for various off enses. Director of Inspection and Monitoring of the Council, Mrs. Anthonia Aruya, disclosed this while addressing journalists about the activities of the council on Friday in Gusau, the state capital. She said some of the off enses which led the PCN sealing some premises and patent medicine shops in the state included “operating without register with pharmacists Council of Nigeria; failure to renew premises licence; dispensing ethical products without the supervision of pharmacists and poor sanitation.
” She said the team had visited no fewer than 329 premises comprising pharmacies and patent medicine shops across the state during the monitoring exercise, stressing that four illegal pharmacies were discovered during the exercise. “Pharmacists Council of Nigeria cannot guarantee that drugs sold in unregistered outlets are of the same integrity as specifi ed by the manufacturers since they have not submitted to regulation that ensures maintenance of appropriate standards for handling such products.
” According to her, the aim of the exercise is to assist people, particularly rural dwellers, from patronising such premises operating illegally to avoid falling into trouble as a result of taking medication out of authorised doctor’s prescription. “Our activities are tailored on making correction among the patent medicine sellers in the country not punitive measures against them.” Aruya advised the public to only buy medicines from licensed patent medicine stores and pharmacies. “I am also advising those intending to start pharmaceutical businesses to get in touch with the PCN offi ces for proper guidance and possible recommendations.”
