The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed-up 301 business premises in Abia State for allegedly contravening its regulations.
Registrar of the council, Pharmacist Elijah Muhammed stated this at a press conference after the operation in Umuahia.
Represented by director of Enforcement, Pharmacist Stephen Esumobi, he said the enforcers, who had been in the state for one week, visited 394 premises made up of 44 pharmacies and 350 patent medicine shops.
“The offences include operating without registration with the council and selling of ethical medicines without supervision of a pharmacist, poor documentation and storage, and unauthorised sale of substances among others,” he said.
Muhammed further said that it was common to see vendors stock medicines above their approved list, adding that since they do not have required knowledge to handle these drugs, they put lives of those who patronise them in danger.
He noted that one of the objectives of National Drug Distribution Guidelines is to ensure that medicines remain safe, effective and of good quality as they transit from one level of distribution chain to another until they get to end users.