PCN shuts 572 Pharmacies, Patent stores in Plateau

The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed off 572 pharmacies and patent stores across Plateau State for various regulatory violations, including unauthorised clinical practice, operation without valid licenses, illegal drug outlets and obstruction of pharmaceutical inspectors.

The Council said the enforcement exercise, which commenced on Monday and lasted four days, uncovered widespread non-compliance with pharmaceutical regulations, with about 60 per cent of the pharmacies inspected failing to meet the required standards.

Addressing journalists in Jos on Friday, the Head of Enforcement Department of the Council, Dr. Suleiman Chiroma, disclosed that a total of 778 premises were inspected during the operation conducted across Jos North, Jos South, Mangu, Shendam, Barkin Ladi, Qua’an Pan and Bassa Local Government Areas.

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According to him, the inspected facilities comprised 199 pharmacies, 499 Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors, PPMVs, and 80 illegal medicine outlets.

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He said 572 premises were sealed, including 120 pharmacies, 372 patent medicine stores and all 80 illegal outlets identified during the exercise, while five compliance directives were issued to operators found wanting in specific regulatory areas.

Chiroma explained that the enforcement exercise was carried out in line with the provisions of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria Act and the National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDG), aimed at sanitising the nation’s drug distribution system and ensuring that medicines are handled only by qualified and licensed professionals.

He noted that the exercise revealed several disturbing practices capable of endangering public health and compromising the integrity of the pharmaceutical sector.

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