*seals 57 pharmacies, 330 patent shops
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, (PCN) on Thursday, declared that some patent shop owners in Ibadan are putting the lives of the public at risk with unauthorized practices
PCN South -West Director and Head of Enforcement Department, Pharm. Stephen Esumobi made this known at a press conference he addressed in Ibadan
Pharm Esumobi disclosed that some patent medicine shops in Ibadan now sell medicines outside the approved drug list and engage in clinical services they don’t have the knowledge and training to engage in.
As a result of this, he said PCN enforcement team has sealed 387 premises, comprising 57 pharmacies and 330 patent medicine shops for illegal and breach of PCN operation regulations and that the enforcement team visited 585 premises comprising of 406 Patent Medicines Shops (PMS) and 179 pharmacies in Ibadan.
He pointed out that during the exercise, 10 compliance directives were issued while one of the operators of an unregistered patent medicine shop was arrested for breaking PCN seal, adding that the exercise was carried out with officers of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) who carried out their assigned duties diligently and professionally.
He expressed concerns that despite a lot of sensitisation, many pharmacies and patent shops in Oyo State still operate in breach of regulations.
” Another worrisome observation is the fact that patent medicine shops sell medicines outside the approved drug list and engage in clinical services and don’t have the knowledge and training to engage in such activities putting the lives of the public at risk”, he said.
The PCN South West Director and Head of Enforcement Department added, “also some pharmacies operate without engaging the services of a pharmacist, while some premises registered as wholesalers and engage in retailing,”
Pharm Esumobi maintained that some patent shop owners in Ibadan operate without registration with PCN, while others have failed to renew their premises licences, adding that members of the public should source their needed drugs from registered and currently licensed pharmacies and over-the-counter medicines from registered patent medicine shops.
He emphasized that all licensed premises are expected to display their premises licences or evidence of registration conspicuously in the premises and that patent medicine vendors are only authorised to stock and sell medicines in the approved drug list for vendors and it was an offence for them to sell medicines outside the approved list or engage in clinical practice.
He also disclosed that, “in order to ensure that standards are maintained, all licenced premises are expected to renew their licences on or before 31 January every year and premises that fail to renew their licences after 31 March shall be closed down by the PCN enforcement team,” .
