Council Seals 501 Illegal Patent Medicine Shops in Plateau State:

The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has detained two individuals for violating the council's seal and sealed 501 pharmacies.

The revelation was revealed by the council's director of enforcement, Stephen Esumobi, at a briefing with media over the weekend in Jos, the state capital.

"A total of 701 premises were visited within the Bukuru/Jos metropolitan area," he stated. From May 13 to May 16, 2024, the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria's enforcement team visited locations in the state and its surroundings. By the end of the exercise, 701 locations had been visited.

This comprises 310 illicit establishments, 224 Patent Medicine stores, and 167 pharmacies. 310 unauthorized locations and 224 Patent Medicine stores. Five hundred and fifty premises were sealed.

"74 pharmacies, 117 patent medicine shops, 310 illegal medical shops, all sealed for various offenses" are some of the locations that have been sealed.

According to the director, the affected practitioners were being clamped down on for offenses like "dispensing controlled medicines without a pharmacy license, selling medicines in open markets, and operating without registering with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria."

The following are additional offenses: "stocking and selling medications over the approved list for Patent Medicine Vendors; engaging in clinical practice; inadequate documentation; inadequate storage facilities; stocking ethical products without a pharmacist's supervision, among others." 

The director additionally alluded to the fact that 14 compliance directives were issued as the In order to ensure that Nigerians always have access to safe, effective, and high-quality medications wherever they are, the council is currently fortifying its state and zonal offices. This will allow them to better fulfill their regulatory role.

According to him, PCN, a parastatal of the federal government tasked with upholding the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria formation Act 2022 through regulation, control, education, training, and practice of pharmacy, will do everything within its power to purge the pharmaceutical sector.