Olu Samuel,Lokoja
The Pharmacist Council of Nigeria,PCN has sealed a total of three hundred and eleven drug distribution premises in Kogi for offences bothering on operating without registration or renewal of premises certificates and unauthorised sale of performance enhancement drugs.
The Director and head of enforcement department,PCN , Pharmacist Stephen Esumobi disclosed this at the weekend in a news conference in Lokoja.
He also said three vendors were arrested for breaking the seal in an operation that lasted one week which took the enforcement department to every parts of the state to enforce the rules of operation set up by the PCN.
According to him, the PCN enforcement team have been in Kogi state since the beginning of the week as part of efforts to streamline the drug distribution system.
He said that it was observed that so many premises in Kogi state still operate in breach of regulations.
“This premises operate without registration with PCN while others have failed to renew their premises licence. At the end of the exercise, a total of 390 premises were visited. This comprises 342 patent medicines shops and 48 pharmacies.
“A total of 311 premises were sealed comprising 15 pharmacies and 296 patent medical shops. A total of 2 compliance directives were issued while 3 patent medicine vendors were arrested for breaking PCN seal.
He noted that most of the premises were sealed for offences which include operating without registration or renewal of premises certificates, unauthorized sale of performance enhancing drugs and medicines of abuse.
Others are poor access control to the poison cupboards, registration of premises by Personnel working in health institutions within and outside the state, stocking and sale of prescription and other ethical products by patent medical vendors among others.
He stressed that it has become necessary for PCN to step up it’s enforcement activities to ensure that medicines remain safe, effective and of good quality as they move from one level of the distribution chain to another until they get to the consumers.