PCN Shuts 440 medicine stores in Gombe
AREWA AGENDA – The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed 440 premises in Gombe State for various offences.
Registrar of the body Pharm. Elijah Mohammed told reporters in Gombe yesterday that the anomaly became worse since the lockdown which was necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mohammed, who was represented by the director of enforcement, Stephen Esumobi, said the aim of the enforcement was to ensure that all premises where medicines are sold were registered, fulfilled conditions with respect to location and storage facilities, among others.
He said, “At the end of the exercise, a total of 618 premises comprising 45 pharmacies and 573 patent medicine shops were visited.
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“A total of 440 premises made up of eight pharmacies and 432 patent medicine shops were sealed for various offences, some of which include operating without registration with PCN and failure to renew premises licence. 25 pharmacies and patent medicine shops were issued compliance directives.”
According to Mohammed, the offences for which the premises were sealed include: operating without registration with the council, failure to renew the licences for their premises, dispensing ethical products without the supervision of a pharmacist, poor storage and sanitary conditions.
He added that many of the premises inspected did not have appropriate storage facilities thereby exposing stocked medicines to harsh environmental factors such as high temperature and humidity.
“Some are exposed to direct sunlight. These conditions caused degradation of medicines thus making many of them (drugs) unsuitable for human consumption,” he said.
He urged members of the public to purchase their medicines from licensed pharmacies and simple household remedies from licensed patent and propriety medicines vendors.
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