By; MOHAMMED KAWU, Bauchi
No fewer than 598 pharmacies and patent medicine shops in 18 out of the twenty local government areas of Bauchi State were resealed by the state branch of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) for various offences such as poor sanitary conditions, poor documentation and non-display of premises and pharmacists’ annual licenses.
The affected local government areas, which were also the ones visited by the PCN inspection team are Bauchi, Toro, Katagum, Alkaleri, Kirfi, Misau, Zaki, Gamawa ,Giade, Shira, Jamaare, Itas, Ganjuwa, Ningi, Dass, Tafawa Balewa, Bogoro and Darazo.
The Bauchi PCN Director and Head of Enforcement Department, Pharm Stephen Esumobi in a statement Friday did not however say whether or not the remaining two local government areas of Dambam and Warji could be visited or even lacks such facilities for the routine inspection
Esumobi who gave a breakdown of the defaulting marketers as 557 patent medicine shops and 41 pharmacies, recalled that a number of 469 premises comprising of 23 pharmacies and 446 patent medicine shops were sealed across the state in 2019.
“So many of the premises then were operating without registration with the PCN while the registered ones failed to renew their premises certificates. These premises were sealed while the owners were given opportunity to fulfil conditions for registration”, he said.
Pharmacist Esumobi expressed regret that despite the council’s efforts to sanitize the system, many premises returned to their old ways simply for financial gains, thus operating in breach of laid down procedures with many products in these erring premises no longer be fit for human consumption due to poor handling.
“The exposure of these products to adverse environmental factors like high temperature, humidity and direct sunlight could compromise their quality, safety, and efficacy”.
He disclosed that the council has sensitized the patent medicine vendors and other medicine dealers on the need to comply with regulations in the interest of public health, with vendors taught on how to handle simple house hold medicines to ensure that products remain safe, effective and of good quality throughout their self-life.
Esumobi therefore advised the public to source all drug needs from registered and currently licensed pharmacies and over-the-counter medicines from registered patent medicine shops as drug sold in unregistered outlets cannot be guaranteed to be safe for consumption.
The director thanked the State Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services and the press for their continuous collaboration with the Pharmacists Council in improving healthcare delivery in the state.
