A total of 308 pharmacies and patent medicine stores across Benue State have been sealed by the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, PCN.
Director enforcement PCN Stephen Esumobi who made the disclosure after the week long inspection exercise said it was in continuation of the Council’s activities aimed at sanitising the system.
According to him a total of 445 premises were visited across the State comprising of 113 pharmacies and 332 patent medicine shops.
Patent medicine shops are required by law to stock only medication on their approved list however many sold by owners are prescription drugs with narrow margin of safety which if not dispensed under supervision of a pharmacist could be harmful to the public.
This and other major offences led to the sealing of hundreds of patent and propriety medicines vendor stores as well as pharmacies by enforcement authorities of the council.
Other activities far beyond their scope which such patent medicine stores engage in as enumerated by the director enforcement include administration of intravenous injections and fliuds in unhygienic environment.
The enforcement was carried out in a total of 13 out of the 23 local councils throughout the week.
Those sealed comprise of 56 pharmacies and 252 patent medicine shops.
9 compliance directives were issued for various offences ranging from poor handling of controlled substances, sale and dispensing of ethical/prescription drugs without the supervision as well as poor sanitary conditions among others.
Editor Paul Akhagbemhe
