Zamfara PCN seals 280 unregistered patent medicine stores

The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) in Zamfara has sealed off a total of 280 unregistered patent medicine stores operating illegally in the state as part of efforts to ensure rational distribution and dispensing of medicines that are safe and effective.
This was made known to newsmen yesterday in Gusau the state capital by the Director Inspection and Monitoring of the Council, Mrs. Anthonia O. Aruya at the end of the council’s ongoing nationwide supervision and monitoring exercise in the state.
She said, the council had visited 365 premises comprising 4 pharmacies and 361 patent medicine shops across the state during their monitoring exercise.
According to her, the council had already visited 26 states, including the FCT, Abuja for the exercise, saying the council was saddled with the responsibility of regulating and controlling the education, training and practice of pharmacy in all aspects and ramifications as established by Decree 91 of 1992, now Pharmacists Council of Nigeria Act Cap P17, LFN, 2004.
She cautioned that, pharmacies must have pharmacists to counsel and supervise the dispensing of ethical products to members of the public, stressing that, the steps were put in place for the citizenry to ensure that medicines that get to the end users are safe and of required quality.
“The facilities inspection exercise by our council is carried out nationwide to ensure that all requirements necessary to preserve the integrity of the medicines such as the right storage conditions are maintained and other requirements are also maintained,” she stated.
She cautioned that the council will not condone proliferation of illegal operation of patent medicine stores in the country without registering with the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, stressing that anyone found wanting would be sanctioned, irrespective of their status.
She then commended security agencies in the state for the cooperation given to them during the monitoring exercise, calling on them to continue to partner with PCN in its efforts to ensure sanity in the drug distribution system.