by Danjuma Attah, Gombe
The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed off no fewer than 752 medicine outlets in Gombe State for violating PCN’s operational rules and procedures.
PCN’s Director of Enforcement, Pharmacist Stephen Esumobifsi, told newsmen during a press conference in Gombe that this followed earlier directives by the Federal Government that medicines should no longer be sold in open drug markets in Nigeria.
He explained that the enforcement team of PCN had been in Gombe from 20th to 25th of April, 2024 and had visited Gombe open drug market and other locations within the State capital including Akko, Yamaltu-Deba, Funakaye and Billiri Local Government Area.
According to him, “at the end of the exercise a total of 1,001 premises were visited out of which 751 premises were sealed off in five out of the eleven LGA’s where violations are more pronouncing”.
The sealed premises are made up of 39 pharmacies, 128 patent medicine shops and 584 illegal medicine shops.
Pharmacist Stephen said, they were sealed for offences ranging from sale of medicines in the open drug market, operating without registration with the PCN, poor documentation, poor storage facilities and stocking of ethical products without the supervision of a pharmacist among others.
Seven compliance directives were issued and the PCN mandated it’s office in Gombe to render all necessary assistance to dealers in Gombe open drug market and other locations who are willing to comply regulations.
According to Pharmacist Stephen, one major obstacle to maintaining the quality, safety, and efficacy of medicines in Nigeria is the sale of medicines in open drug markets but PCN’s enforcement team observed in Gombe that medicine shops in Gombe open drug market and some other locations acros the State are not registered by the PCN and are operating illegally.
He said, “the storage conditions for medicines in these premises are poor as medicines are stored at temperature and humidity conditions that are at variance with manufacturers recommendations.
“The implication of this is that most of the medicines sold in these locations may no longer be fit for human consumption due to degradation of the active ingredients.
“Some of the products of degradation of these medicines are harmful thus posing a threat to public health.
“Also, the premises do not have pharmacists to supervise the sale of ethical medicines with narrow margin of safety thus exposing consumers to harmful consequences of the wrong use of these medicines.
“Further more, most of these medicine dealers engage in the illegal sale of substances of abuse to members of the public thus aggravating the social and security challenges emanating from the illicit use of these medicines.
“The PCN had communicated severally with the relevant stakeholders in the State including the medicine dealers in Gombe open drug market on the need to relocate to registrable locations as their activities is in total violation of the Federal Government directive that medicines should no longer be sold in open drug markets in Nigeria”, he warned.
“We’re not here to get them out of business or for any punitive measures but to ensure compliance to standard best practices that guarantees good public health of Nigerians”, he added.
