PCN seals 724 pharmacies, medicine stores in Kwara over regulatory breaches

. Four-day enforcement operation uncovers illegal outlets, poor storage conditions across 10 LGAs

The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed 724 pharmacies and patent medicine stores in Kwara State following a four-day enforcement exercise over regulatory breaches.

The Registrar of the council, Ibrahim Ahmed, disclosed this in Ilorin, the state capital, while briefing journalists on the outcome of the operation conducted by PCN personnel across 10 local government areas: Ilorin South, Ilorin East, Ilorin West, Asa, Offa, Ifelodun, Oyun, Moro, Irepodun and Edu.

Represented by Dr Suleiman Chiroma, Ahmed said the team inspected a total of 1,238 premises, comprising 167 pharmacies, 957 patent medicine stores and 114 illegal outlets.

“Consequently, 724 premises were sealed, including 68 pharmacies, 542 patent medicine stores and 114 illegal outlets. In addition, 11 compliance directives were issued,” he said.

“Of the total of 1,238 premises inspected during the exercise, nine per cent were found to be operating illegally.”

He added that illegal premises accounted for 15.7 per cent of all facilities sealed due to one or more regulatory breaches.

Among licensed operators, 59.2 per cent of pharmacies inspected were in full compliance with regulatory standards, compared with 43 per cent of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendor outlets. As required by law, 100 per cent of the illegal premises identified were sealed.

The breaches include operation without a valid PCN licence, poor storage conditions, unauthorised access to controlled medicines, training of apprentices, and cooking in patent medicine shops.

“These practices endanger public health and pose risks to national security when controlled drugs are diverted to criminal networks,” Ahmed warned.

He noted that the outcome of the enforcement exercise reflected improved regulatory compliance in the state, but warned that any breach of established regulations would be met with decisive enforcement action by the council.

The registrar urged members of the public to obtain medicines only from premises duly licensed by the council to avoid treatment failures, antimicrobial resistance and possible deaths. He said licensed premises could be identified through a valid PCN licence prominently displayed within the facility.

According to him, the council remains committed to advancing Universal Health Coverage in line with the Federal Government’s health agenda.

“UHC is unattainable without access to safe, effective, quality-assured and affordable medicines. When medicines are dispensed by untrained persons or stored in unsuitable conditions, treatment failures, antimicrobial resistance and avoidable deaths increase,” he added.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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