The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), has sealed over 50 drug stores in Kaduna State for allegedly operating illegally without approval from the council.
The raid, which was conducted at some pharmacies and patent medicine outlets within the state’s capital on Wednesday, was part of efforts by the council to regulate and control the sale of drugs in Nigeria.
The council’s Head of Enforcement, Mr Stephen Esumobi, said that the exercise was part of measures to ensure that only quality drugs were sold to members of the public.
According to Mr Esumobi, the patent medicine shops and pharmacies were closed for operating without approval and poor storage conditions of drugs among others.
He said that the enforcement was carried out after series of reports of the activities of unregistered drug stores in the state.
The council warned that the Federal Government would not tolerate the indiscriminate sale and sought close collaboration in the ongoing effort to sanitise the system.
Mr Esumobi urged all stakeholders to follow the laid down laws that regulate the practice of pharmacy in Nigeria, while advising the public to always purchase their drugs from licenced pharmacies and patent medicine stores.
He did not, however, say how consumers could identified whether a drug store is registered or not.
The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria said that the war against fake and substandard drugs was a collective effort that should involve all stakeholders.
The war, according to them, was to ensure rational distribution and dispensing of medicines that are safe, effective and of good quality to the public.
The council observed that many drug outlets in Kaduna, operate without fulfilling the minimum requirements of registration.
