Pharmacy, Patent Shop Operators Flout Rules In Delta

It has been discovered that some pharmacies and patent shops operators in Delta State do not follow laid down guidelines while many of the premises they operate from has nothing to write home about.

“while many of the premises are located in environment that are not conducive for the sales of medicines, so many others failed to meet the minimum requirements for storage and personnel thus exposing members of the public to the danger of consuming medicines whose quality, safety and efficacy cannot be guaranteed”.

The revelation was made known during a press conference by the Director and head of Inspection and Monitoring Department, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharm (Mrs) Anthonia Aruya, at its state office, Federal Secretariat, Asaba.

Pharm Aruya also revealed that, “another category of offenders are registered premises that failed to renew their premises certificates with the PCN by March 3rd in line with regulatory requirement”, stressing that the annual renewal of premises certificate was mandatory and its met to ensure that registered premises continue to maintain or improve on the standards that made them qualified for licensure.

According to the Director, “at the end of the enforcement exercise, a total of 162 premises were visited. While 138 of them comprising 27 pharmacies and 111 patent medicine shops were sealed for offences ranging from dispensing poisons without the supervision of a pharmacist, poor storage conditions, selling medicines above the approved list for patent medicine vendors, non-registration or renewal of premises with PCN among others”.

The Head of Inspection and Monitoring Department took the medium to sensitize stakeholders to follow the laws that regulate the sale of medicines in Nigeria as the PCN would not tolerate the sale of medicines without submission to regulatory control.

“the general public is advised to patronize only licensed pharmacies and patent medicine shops as drugs purchased elsewhere cannot be guaranteed to be safe for their use”, adding, “members of the public who wish to operate patent medicine shops or pharmacies are advised to visit the PCN state or Zonal offices nearest to them for proper guidelines”.

She hinted that PCN is a federal government parastatal charged with the responsibility of regulating and controlling the education, training and practice of pharmacy in all its aspects and ramifications as established by Pharmacists Council of Nigeria Act Cap P17, LFN, 2004.