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From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) said it has arrested 16 suspects and sealed off 178 premises, for various offences in Rivers State.
The council recorded the feat during an inspection exercise by a joint team of PCN and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), in the State.
Director Enforcement, PCN, Stephen Esumobi, disclosed this in Port Harcourt, yesterday, when he briefed journalists on the council’s operation in Rivers.
Esumobi regretted that, in spite of the efforts of the PCN, some medicine dealers in Rivers have refused to operate in line with the regulations of the council.
He noted that 251 premises were visited in Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor Local Government areas of the state, adding that 178 of them were sealed off for offences like operating without registration with the PCN.
Esumobi stated what prompted the move by explaining that the agency had created a platform to sensitize stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry on the need to carry out their activities in line with regulations, which medicine dealers have flouted.
According to Esumobi, many of the affected premises were not registered with PCN and also did not have appropriate storage facilities, thereby exposing medicines to adverse environmental factors.
He said: “These illegal outlets do not have pharmacists to supervise the dispensing of medicines to the public. This has contributed to the irrational dispensing of medicines resulting in treatment failures and untoward effects on patients and other unsuspecting members of the public who patronize activities of these illegal outlets tend to them. Similarly, they encourage the abuse and misuse of controlled medicines with the attendant negative social and security implications.
“To address this challenge, the PCN stepped up enforcement activities across the state. As a result of this intervention, some premises upgraded their facilities to meet conditions for storage of medicines while others have employed pharmacists to supervise pharmaceutical activities.
“Some of the owners of the premises in the state who refused to comply with guidelines broke the PCN seals and continued with their illegal activities. This prompted this follow-up enforcement visit which was jointly carried out with the officers of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
“16 illegal medicine dealers have been arrested so far for breaking PCN seals and efforts are ongoing to apprehend and prosecute other suspects who are currently at large.
“Also, 178 out of the 251 premises visited were sealed off for offences such as operating without registration with PCN, incomplete registration, Selling ethical medicines without the supervision of a pharmacist among others.”
He, however, declared that the agency would not relent to ensure that those involved in breaking its seals are arrested and prosecuted.
